


Kill the Lights

by lilbluednacer



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Daddy Issues, Drug Use, F/M, Hints of Olicity, Queen sibling feels, Reposted from FF.net, Roy and Felicity are neighbors, Slow Burn, Theroy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-29
Updated: 2017-04-07
Packaged: 2018-04-24 00:29:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 27,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4898518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilbluednacer/pseuds/lilbluednacer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Roy/Thea AU: She's a wealthy socialite with a drug habit and he's a street kid with anger to burn. When they meet sparks fly. But Roy's about to learn that getting close to Thea is not only dangerous-it could be life-threatening.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please keep in mind that this is AU and events will be altered to fit the plot. This is a Theroy fic with dash of Olicity for good measure ;) Reviews feed the muse and my soul.

The first time they meet, it's random.

He's walking home from a party at two in the morning. His building is at the edge of the Glades, so not gang territory but not exactly a nice neighborhood to be strolling through at night. Unless your name is Roy Harper and you've got mad fighting skills.

Roy pulls the red hood of his sweatshirt up.

He sees the girl when he rounds the corner onto his block. She's sitting on the curb outside his building, shivering in a black minidress and no jacket, staring out at the street with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Hey," Roy calls out softly.

He stops a few feet away from her, trying not to scare her. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she says in a hard little voice, crossing her skinny arms over her chest.

"You sure? 'Cus it's the middle of the night and you're alone in the Glades."

"I'm aware of that," she says dryly.

"Do you need help? I can walk you home or help you find a cab."

She laughs but it's dry and painful sounding. "I'm waiting for a ride, actually."

"Do you mind if I wait with you?" he asks.

She looks up at him for the first time. She's pretty, with wide eyes and delicate bone structure, and she's clearly way too young to be out this late.

"I live here," he tells her, pointing to his building behind them. "I'd feel responsible if something happened to you."

"Whatever," she shrugs, so Roy sinks down on the curb next to her.

"What are you doing out here, anyway?" he asks, taking in her expensive shoes and designer purse. "The Glades doesn't really seem like your scene."

"I went to a party with my boyfriend," she explains, fiddling with a small silver bracelet. "We got in a fight on the way home."

Roy opens his mouth in horror. "He left you here?"

"No, I broke up with him, and then I jumped out of the car."

"And he drove away."

"I told him to."

"Them either you're crazy, or you have a death wish."

That earns him a smile, which totally throws him. "Aren't you perceptive," she says wryly.

"How old are you anyway?" he asks.

"Twenty-two," she says coolly.

Roy snorts. "You want to try that again, princess?"

She bites her bottom lip. "Nineteen?"

"Mm, I'm nineteen, and I'm definitely older than you."

She grins suddenly, like she's grateful to him for catching her in a lie. "I'm seventeen."

"Isn't it a school night?" he teases.

"So?"

"Aren't your parents wondering where you are?"

She looks back out at the street, the spark of light he saw in her eyes a second ago going out. "I don't have parents."

"Oh. Me either."

"I'm sorry," the girl says softly, a frown playing across her lovely face.

"What happened to them?" he asks.

She looks at him intently and gives a small shake of her head, sending long brown curls flying. "You really have no idea who I am, do you?"

He wrinkles his forehead. "Should I?"

She tilts her head. "I kind of like that you don't."

A black Range Rover comes down the street flashing it's lights, slowing down and pulling up in front of the curb.

"That your ride?" he asks.

"Yeah," she says, but doesn't make a move to get up.

"You going to get in?" he asks, amused and mystified by this strange girl.

She leans into him, bumping his shoulder. "One more minute."

After about thirty seconds a large man with biceps the size of Roy's head gets out of the car and walks up to them.

"Miss Thea," he says in a deep voice, raising a stern eyebrow at her.

"Mr. Diggle."

The man turns to Roy, his eye skimming over him like he's doing a threat assessment. "And you are?"

"He's my friend," the girl-Thea-says quickly. "He was just waiting with me."

"Alright kid, let's go," the man says, hauling her up by her elbow. "You are way past curfew."

"Wait," Thea yells, twisting in his arms as he hustles her into the backseat. "What's your name?"

"Roy!" he shouts, and she waves desperately as the door shuts behind her.

The window rolls down and he hears her yell, "Goodnight, Roy!" and the car pulls away, leaving Roy alone on the street.

xxx

The night after her mother's funeral Thea woke up screaming.

Ollie ran into her room and held her by the shoulders, _Thea, Thea, what's wrong, talk to me_.

"It hurts," she sobbed, pointed to her chest. "Oh god, Ollie, it hurts."

Oliver wrapped her in blankets, carried her through the mansion and drove her to the ER. In the hospital a nice looking doctor with a gentle smile explained that she was fine, that healthy teenage girls don't have heart attacks but the symptoms of a panic attack can be almost identical.

She was sent home with a bottle of sedatives and a pamphlet with a sad faced girl on the cover. It made Thea mad just to look at it. Her problems couldn't be solved by some stupid piece of paper.

That was the beginning.

The pills helped.

They helped numb the pain of her mother's sudden death.

They helped her fall back asleep when she was plagued with nightmares, her parents' dead faces staring at her.

They helped when her brother decided to sell the mansion she'd grown up in, and moved them into a loft in downtown Starling.

The loft is big and cold and empty, even now, a year after her mother's death. There are fireplaces everywhere but no matter how many fires she lights Thea can't seem to stay warm.

The truth is, the drugs started before her mom died, after the boat her father and brother where on sank and her mother turned into a ghost, left Thea to fend for herself.

She starting going out on the weekends. Thea made friends with older boys who wanted her, and it made her feel good.

They wanted her to shake her hips and let them touch her, and she'd open her mouth for a little round pill that they'd slip between her lips.

She stopped feeling, and it was bliss.

She kept waiting for someone to stop her but nobody did. And then Ollie came home and everything changed.

The more out of control she got the angrier at her he grew. Like she was just supposed to be cool with him coming back from the dead, like the past five years of hell had never happened. Was it only obvious to her that her brother had gone _completely mental_ on that island?

Thea was supposed to be _normal normal normal_ for him and their mom. Get good grades and kiss her brother's cheek and prove to the world that the Queen Empire was just fine.

Who could take that kind of pressure?

She's silent during the car ride home. Mr. Diggle doesn't try to engage her, just smoothly drives the car out of the Glades, away from the beautiful boy in the red hoodie, and back to the loft.

She wishes she hadn't called for a ride now. She wants to be back on that curb, sitting next to a boy who made her feel more alive than she has in years just by looking at her.

There was something about his eyes. Besides the startling bright color and clarity, something deeper. Like he saw through the whole facade: the eyeliner and the designer outfit, the tough veneer.

Like he looked at her and saw all of her pain, and understood.

When Mr. Diggle parks outside her building Thea unbuckles her seatbelt and leans towards him.

"Don't tell Ollie, okay? Please?"

He snorts. "Which part?"

She kisses his cheek and gives him a sweet smile. "Thanks for the ride."

He shakes his head at her but he's smiling when he pulls away.

Thea pulls off her heels in the elevator, sighing. Her brother won't be as easy to manipulate.

When she creeps inside the loft he's waiting for her, sitting at the kitchen table with a glass of whiskey in one hand.

 _Shit_. She is so screwed.

"You missed curfew by two hours."

"I know," she says awkwardly, standing a good six feet away from him.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"Chase and I broke up."

"That doesn't explain why Diggle had to pick you up in the _Glades_."

"Thanks for your sympathy," she sneers. God, why does he have to be so _completely_ emotionally stunted?

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he explodes. "Was Mom not enough for you to learn your lesson?"

Her eyes burn with tears and she stumbles back, tripping over her bare feet.

"Shit, Thea…" Oliver sighs and scrubs his face. "I didn't mean it like that."

She swallows back tears, biting down hard on the inside of her cheek.

"Hey." He slides off the stool and walks over in front of her, forces her face up to look at him. "I shouldn't have said that. I'm just worried about you."

"Sorry," she whispers, and blinks rapidly to keep the tears from falling.

"It's okay," he murmurs. "I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"Jerk," she mutters.

"Hey, I'm trying to apologize here."

"It's fine, I get it. I just want to go to bed."

"Okay." He squeezes her wrist. "I love you, you know."

Thea rolls her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. You too, big bro."

She escapes to her room and locks the door, and immediately the tears begin to fall.

_Was Mom not enough for you to learn your lesson?_

Thea swallows a sob and tugs her dress off, throwing it into the hamper. She pulls on a camisole and boxers, and scrubs off her makeup in the bathroom, choking back tears.

Fuck her brother and his self-righteous bullshit. Doesn't he know how guilty she feels already?

Thea swallows two pills from the stash she keeps taped to the inside of her vanity drawer (her mother might have been oblivious to her little habit but Ollie doesn't miss a thing and therefore requires outright deception).

She falls asleep thinking of Roy, of clear blue eyes that look like they could swallow an ocean of pain and drown it forever.


	2. Chapter 2

The second time Roy sees Thea it's a coincidence that only occurs because of a string of seriously bad luck.

He's walking through the Glades after running some drug money for a guy he knows. Roy's not in a gang but he'll happily do a job for the money. He'll work for any of them, which means he knows all the major players in the Glades and has their respect but isn't beholden to anyone.

He's done for the night and thinking about swinging by Big Belly Burger on his way home when he comes across a gangbanger knocking around a girl in an alleyway.

The girl looks terrified, crying for help and flailing her arms in an attempt to escape, and before Roy knows it he's running right into them.

The guy doesn't even see his fist coming.

Roy yells at the girl to _run_ and turns his attention back to the man, who swings wildly at him. Roy ducks the punch easily and strikes out, kicking him behind his kneecaps. The guy falls to the pavement and Roy is on him in an instant.

His punches are brutal and he doesn't stop. He strikes over and over, until all he can feel is the rage and everything around him bleeds red.

He comes back to himself in the backseat of a police car.

He's so drained from his rage-out and disoriented at what's happening that he doesn't even try to fight it.

When you grow up in the Glades getting arrested is par for the course.

At the station a detective with a tough accent and a world weary gaze books him, taking his wallet and phone and putting them in a plastic bag.

"You can get these back after your arraignment," he tells him.

"My what?"

The detective sighs. "Your arraignment, Mr. Harper."

"What's that?"

"You have to talk to a judge, plead your case. And no one gets arraigned until the morning, so get comfortable."

Roy blinks, suddenly feeling nauseous and way out of his depth. "Can't someone come bail me out?"

"Your bail will be set by the judge at the arraignment."

He rubs his eyes. "Don't I get a lawyer? I want a lawyer."

Detective Lance winces. "I was hoping you wouldn't say that."

He's put in a holding room to wait for the lawyer. Roy's hungry and sleepy and all around pissed the fuck off. He was helping someone, isn't there some Good Samaritan loophole he can exploit?

After what feels like an eternity the door opens and a slim, elegantly dressed woman glides in, a file in her hands.

"Mr. Harper," she says coolly, taking a seat opposite him. "My name is Laurel Lance. I'm your attorney."

He stares at her. "You're my lawyer."

The diamond studs in her ears gleam. "That's right."

"You don't look like a public defender."

"That's because I'm not. I do pro-bono work on behalf of CNRI."

"What does that mean?"

She sweeps her honey blond hair over her shoulder and gives him a smug smile. "It means that I'm excellent at my job. All you need to do is keep your mouth shut and everything will be fine."

She opens his file and skims it. "They charged you with assault with a deadly weapon-"

"What the fuck?" Roy interrupts.

She sighs impatiently. "Please be quiet, Mr. Harper while I explain this to you-"

"I didn't have a weapon!"

She raises a perfectly tweezed eyebrow at him. "The man you attacked is in the hospital right now. If a person is capable of fighting the way you fight their fists can be declared a weapon."

"I didn't attack him," Roy says sullenly.

"Then how did he get two black eyes, a broken nose, and a nasty concussion?"

"He was to hurt some girl in an alley and she was crying for help, and no one did anything! What, was I just supposed to walk away and let her get raped likes girls do every night in the Glades? Where were the cops then, huh?"

She frowns. "Be that as it may, it's not your job to enforce justice."

"Then whose job is it?"

"The law's," she says primly.

"You know, that guy I hit was working for the Bertinelli's."

That gets her attention. "How do you know that?" she asks quickly.

Roy gives her a sly smile. "I get around. I have a lot of friends."

"Friends," she snorts. "Sure."

"Aren't you interested in what I know?" he asks. Maybe he can flip a mid level dealer for a deal.

"I'm not a detective Mr. Harper, I'm not interested in leveraging any information you may posses for a lesser sentence."

"Why not?" He scowls.

She smiles widely at him. "Because I don't need it. Sure, you have a few misdemeanors, but you've never committed a violent crime before. And when I explained the circumstances to the D.A. he was willing to work out a deal."

He stares at her blankly. "You already got me a deal?"

"I told you I was good at my job." His new guardian angle slides a piece of paper and a pen across the table to him. "Sign on the dotted line, please."

He picks up the paper, skimming over the legal jargon. "What's this?"

"Your plea bargain."

"What's it say?"

"That you plead guilty."

"What, I thought you said-"

"I've bargained you down to aggravated assault which is a lesser charge, and based on the identity of the man in question I'm confident that the judge will be lenient in your sentencing."

Roy's hand freezes halfway to the pen. "Sentencing?"

She gives him a soft smile and suddenly she's not sharp and hard looking, she's beautiful. "I'm recommending court ordered anger management and parole."

"Sounds fun," he sighs, and signs where Laurel tells him to.

Laurel works her magic in the courtroom and by nine the next morning Roy's released into her care, following her out of the courthouse and blinking in the harsh sunlight.

"Come on," Laurel says, leading him to her car. "I got you an appointment in an hour."

"Huh?" he says. He snatched a few hours of sleep in a jail cell before the arraignment but it obviously wasn't enough, because he trips over his own feet getting into her car.

"Anger management," she reminds him. "Ten sessions. First one is today."

"Wow, you really waste no time," he grumbles. "Any way we can fit in a caffeine fix?"

She smiles. "You got it."

"Isn't this kind of above and beyond?" he asks, leaning back in his seat. "Or do you give all the criminals rides around town?"

Laurel shrugs. "You're just a kid."

"I'm nineteen."

"A kid."

"So? What do you care?"

"My boyfriend died in the earthquake last year," she says casually.

"I'm sorry," he says, shocked by her willingness to open up to him, a stranger.

"It's alright," she says with a wan smile. "I was a mess, for months. And then I realized that I couldn't bring him back, but I could make a difference. I could honor him by helping other people, especially in the Glades."

Roy stares at her in shock. "Your boyfriend dies and you deal with it by giving legal advice to losers in the Glades? You need your head checked, lady."

Laurel laughs and swings the car into a drive-through McDonalds and buys him a breakfast sandwich and a large coffee.

"So," Roy says, taking a large swing of his coffee. "You're helping me because you're on some Mother Teresa mission to make a difference?"

Laurel shrugs. "What can I say, work is my life."

"You should really get out more," Roy says.

"You're lucky I don't," she says. "Or you'd be in a jail cell right now."

She drives them to downtown Starling City and pulls up to a four story building with glittering glass windows.

"This is you," she says. "Here." She pulls a pile of papers out of her handbag and gives them to him. "You need to get these signed after each session, okay?"

"Okay," Roy grumbles.

"Hey, one last thing," Laurel says. "What you said before, about knowing things about certain people in the Glades."

"Yeah?"

"I have a friend who might be interested in that information."

Roy raises an eyebrow. "A friend?"

"That's right. Would it be alright if I tell him about you?"

"Sure," Roy shrugs.

"Great." Laurel pulls a business card out of her wallet. "I'll be in touch."

xxx

Roy's appointment is in a fucking _therapist_ office on the third floor of the building, specializing, according to the plaque on the door, in adolescent behavioral problems.

Roy can't help but sneer and give the secretary attitude when he checks in.

Where he comes from, therapy is for pussies.

He takes a seat on an uncomfortable chair in the waiting when it happens. All of a sudden the hairs on the back of Roy's neck stand up and when he looks up there she is.

 _Thea_.

She stands in the doorway staring at him. When he notices her she raises a hand up in greeting. Roy lifts his hand up to mirror her, and is overcome by a strange feeling, like he can feel her hand touching his hand from across the room.

"Thea." A tall guy with sandy blond hair snatches her hand. "Come on, you're going to be late for school."

The guy drags her into the hallway and Thea waves goodbye, and then she's gone.

xxx

"What were you doing?" Ollie inquires, holding her hand tightly as they walk into the elevator, like she's a toddler who can't be trusted.

"I thought I forgot my sweater," she lies, thinking of Roy's surprised face at seeing her.

He gives her a weird look. "You're not wearing a sweater."

"Exactly."

Her brother sighs as they exit the elevator and walk down the hall and out into the morning sunshine.

The last thing Thea ever wants to do on Thursday mornings is get up extra early for a seven am therapy appointment, but it's the only time Oliver is free to take her.

"How was it today?" he asks tentatively as they get in the car.

She shrugs, toying with the hem of her plaid skirt. The only thing worse than going to therapy is talking about therapy.

"Okay, then," he says, turning onto the main road. "Excited for school?"

He smirks at her and she glares.

"Whatever," she drones. "School's lame."

Oliver laughs. "Don't I know it."

"Then why do I have to go?" she whines.

"Because Mom would roll over in her grave if I let you bail on school."

"That's low, Ollie. And way too early in the day to play the dead mom card."

"You're going to school, Speedy. End of discussion."

"Can we at least stop for muffins? I want a blueberry muffin. Starbucks is right across the street from school."

"We're already running late from your little space-out in the hallway."

"Please?" She pouts at him. "My parents are dead. I'm just a poor orphan girl who has to live with her sadistic big brother. Don't you think I deserve a muffin?"

"I'm not a sadist," Oliver grumbles, but he stops at Starbucks anyway and buys her a blueberry muffin and a latte to go, just like she knew he would.


	3. Chapter 3

The third time he sees her it's fate. If Roy believed in something stupid like that, which he doesn't.

But it turns out Thea does.

He's at a buddy's house party a few blocks from his apartment. The music's pounding and the alcohol is flowing. Roy's hanging out in the living room nursing a beer when a group of girls in skimpy dresses and heels push through the front door.

One of the girls has curly brown hair, a slim build and clear green eyes.

Thea spots him almost immediately. She leans into her closest girlfriend and whispers something in her ear. The friend checks Roy out and whispers something back to Thea, who breaks off from her group and comes over to where he's leaning against the wall.

"Three times in one week, am I lucky or what?" Thea says, a cheeky grin spreading across her face.

"I think I'm the lucky one, I've got the cute stalker," he teases.

"You think I'm stalking you?"

"Well you were right outside my house when I met you. And now you're here, at my buddy's party, in my neighborhood. What would you call it?"

"Fate," she says, giving him a sultry look.

"Roy shakes his head. "I don't believe in fate."

"Well, I do."

He smiles. "You don't think it's just some random coincidence that we keep running into each other?"

She shakes her head seriously. "The first time, sure. That was random. The second time, okay, a coincidence. But three times? That's fate, buddy."

Roy grins. "You think the universe is trying to tell us something?"

Thea gives him a flirty smile. "Get me a drink and I'll tell you."

He follows her across the room to the makeshift bar, and talks the guy behind the table into giving her two vodka shots. She slams them back in quick succession.

"Alright," Roy says. "Enlighten me. Why should I believe in fate?"

"Don't you think some things happen for a reason?"

"I don't know."

"I do," she says, smiling coyly.

Roy grins. "Why's that?"

Thea steps closer and places her hand lightly on his forearm. "I just know things, sometimes."

That earns her a smirk. "Like what, princess?"

"I feel like I know you," Thea says. "Even though I don't. Does that make any sense?"

Roy shrugs. "I believe that you believe, how about that?"

Thea's hand slides down to his wrist. "Figure out who I am yet?"

Her thumb rubs over his skin, making warmth spread through his body.

"You do look familiar," Roy admits. "But I can't place you."

"Want a hint?"

"Yeah, okay."

She wobbles in her heels and grips his wrist to catch her balance. "What's your last name?"

"Harper."

She gives him a bright smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Harper. I'm Thea Queen."

Queen. Queen? "Like Queen Consolidated?"

"Yup."

Thea Queen. _Thea Queen_ , he knows that name, now that she's jogged his memory. It was splashed all over the papers last year when Moira Queen was murdered in the Glades.

Roy's jaw drops. " _You're_ the billionaire heiress?"

Thea scowls. "One paper calls you that and it sticks with you for life."

"What the hell is a girl like you doing in the Glades, Ms. Queen?"

"Well Mr. Harper, my friend heard about the party, and I was hoping this hot boy from the Glades might be here."

Roy grins. "So you are stalking me."

"I'm not stalking," Thea giggles, smacking his arm. "I'm..." She snaps her fingers. "Recon! Im doing recon."

Roy raises his eyebrow. "Tell me about this hot guy you felt the need to check out."

"Oh," Thea says enthusiastically. "I _really_ like this guy."

"Really?"

"Yeah. For starters, he looks like an Abercrombie model. He's got these blue eyes, and his hair does this cool swoosh thing-"

"Swoosh?" Roy laughs. "It's an undercut."

Her hand ghosts over his hair. "Swoosh. Get it?"

Roy tugs on one of her brown spirals. "So what about your boyfriend? Does he know about this guy?"

She shakes her head. "No boyfriend. Haven't seen him since the night we met."

Roy wrinkles his forehead. "Then who was that guy I saw you with the other day?"

Thea laughs. "That was Oliver. My brother."

Roy grins. "So you're single now?"

She gives him a flirty smile. "Are you?"

Roy almost laughs out loud. Yeah, he likes girls, and he has a few he can always call when he's feeling lonely. But him, with a girlfriend? Yeah, right.

"I'm taking your silence as a yes," Thea teases.

"Yeah, I'm single," he confirms.

Her hand slides from his wrist to slip into his own hand. "Good."

"Thea!" One of her friends pops up, a cute blond with a dimple in her chin, and tugs on Thea's wrist. "Thea come on, you're missing the party!"

Thea flashes Roy an apologetic smile. "Sorry. I'll catch up with you in a bit."

He leans in and kisses her cheek, quick, before she gets away. "I hope so."

xxx

"Oh my god," Sara giggles, dragging Thea towards the kitchen. "Who is that?"

"That's the guy from the other night."

Sara squeals. "He is _yummy_."

"Paws off Lance." Thea glances over her shoulder, watching Roy do a shot with a guy she doesn't know. "He's mine."

"Well you got over Chase rather quickly."

Thea grimaces. "He was a mistake."

"And what about Mr. Dimples over there? What do we know?"

"Um..." Thea twirls a strand of hair around her finger. "He's nineteen."

"Older. Nice."

"He lives in the Glades."

"Ooo a bad boy, I like it."

"That's the thing though. He's nice. He waited on that curb with me in the middle of the night and he wasn't creepy or anything."

"Yeah, hanging out with you, I bet that was a real hardship for him," Sara snorts.

"You don't get it," Thea insists. "There's something about him."

"Oh my god," Sara laughs. "You've got it bad, baby girl. You barely even know him."

"Like you knew that cute brunet in that leather getup at that party the other night."

Sara hip bumps her lightly and reaches for an open vodka bottle on the kitchen table. "Her name is Nyssa. And she is _delicious_."

Sara mixes a few different liquors into a red cup and hands it to Thea. "Drink up my darling. The night's only getting started."

Thea tosses back what Sara gives her. It tastes overwhelmingly sweet, which means it's all alcohol. Sara has a special talent for making drinks that are as tasty as they are lethal.

"His eyes, Sar. He has the prettiest blue eyes."

"Nice body too," Sara comments.

"I thought you were into girls now."

Sara smirks. "I can still appreciate the male form."

"I bet he looks amazing without his shirt," Thea muses.

Sara sighs. "I miss dick sometimes."

"Ohmigod." Thea chokes on her drink. "TMI much?"

"Whatever," Sara replies, taking a sip from Thea's cup. "I'll just have to experience it vicariously through you."

Thea grins wickedly. "Works for me."

xxx

Roy is playing beer bong in the dining room when Thea's blond friend comes into the room, her eyes scanning the crowd until she lands on him.

"Hey, you!" she shouts. "Abercrombie!"

The blond puts her hand on his elbow and tugs him away from the table with a surprising amount of force.

"I need your help, Abercrombie."

"It's Roy. You're Thea's friend, right?"

"Sara," she says impatiently. "I can't find Thea."

He stares at her. "You lost Thea?"

"I didn't _lose_ her. She went to the bathroom twenty minutes ago, and she hasn't come back, and the door to the bathroom is locked but no one's answering," Sara says, dragging him down the hall.

"And you need my help how?"

Sara parks him in front of a closed door. "I need you to use those lovely muscles to break down the door."

Roy knocks loudly on the closed door and presses his ear against the wood but he can't hear anything on the other side.

He turns back to Sara, who's biting her lip. "You sure she's in here?"

"I looked everywhere else."

Roy sighs and backs up a few paces. He rolls his shoulders, angles himself and charges, ramming the door hard with his right side and the cheap lock pops open.

Thea's sprawled on the floor like a crime scene victim, arms and legs akimbo.

"Oh my god," Sara gasps, peeking over Roy's shoulder. "Oh god, is she-is she...?"

Roy drops to his knees and puts his ear above Thea's chest.

"She's fine, she's breathing. She's just passed out."

Sara stumbles backwards, one hand over her mouth. "Shit. Shit I have to go, I can't stay here."

Roy jumps up, catching her arm. "You can't leave her here," he says angrily. "You're her friend."

"You don't understand!" Sara blurts out. "She's going to get busted, which means I'll get busted, and my dad will kill me."

Roy stares at her dumbly. "But what about Thea?"

"Please," Sara pleads. "My dad's a cop. If I get caught drinking he'll lock me in my room until I turn eighteen. You and Thea are friends, right? You'll make sure she gets home okay?"

"Yeah, of course," Roy promises. "I wouldn't leave her here."

Sara glances over his shoulder at Thea one more time, and then she shoves him into the wall.

"She better get home without a scratch, or they'll be hell to play, got it?" she snarls.

Roy nods calmly, a little freaked out at how aggressive she suddenly gets. "Yeah, I get it."

"Good." Sara gives him a sultry smile and runs her hand across his cheek. "Because I'd hate to see anything happen to this pretty face."

Sara pats his cheek and skips down the hallway. Roy sighs and turns back to Thea.

"Thea," he says, bending down to shake her gently. "Thea, it's Roy."

Thea moans, pulling away from his touch. "G'way," she slurs.

"Come on, wake up," Roy says. "Time to go home."

"Fucking... _Sara_ ," Thea mumbles, her eyes still shut.

"Sara left," he tells her. "Where's your phone, I'm gonna call someone to get you."

Thea points her toe at her clutch, dropped on the floor by the tub. Thea doesn't have an Oliver in her phone, but there is an Ollie. Roy takes his chances and dials.

It rings twice.

"Hello?" It's him, the guy he saw with Thea the other day in the waiting room. Roy recognizes his voice, the edgy growl.

"Hi, is this Oliver?"

"Who is this?" Oliver demands.

"This is Roy, I'm a friend of Thea's."

"Why do you have my sister's phone, Roy?"

"We're at a party and I think she needs a ride home."

"Why are you calling me; where's Thea?"

"Thea's um...she's a little messed up right now. I thought maybe you or her driver guy could pick her up?"

"Where's the party?"

Roy winces. He has a feeling a girl like Thea isn't allowed in the Glades.

"I'll text you the address," Roy says.

"Okay. I'm on my way. And Roy?"

"Yeah?"

"If anything-and I mean anything-happens to my little sister before I get there I'm holding you personally responsible." Oliver hangs up the phone before he can respond.

Roy glances back down at Thea, who's curled up around his ankles like a cat, and sighs.

xxx

By the time the black Range Rover pulls up outside of the house Roy is sitting on the front steps with Thea curled up on his lap with her head on her chest.

"Thea, wake up," he whispers.

"Mm," Thea mumbles, and nuzzles the side of his neck. "You smell good."

Oliver gets out of the passenger side of the car. Roy swallows when he takes in Oliver's build, a wall of solid muscle with all the agility of a panther. Roy's been in his fair share of fights and he can tell just by the way Oliver walks that you wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley.

Oliver approaches them wordlessly and holds his hands out, and Roy transfers Thea into her brother's arms.

"Thanks," Oliver mutters, and carries Thea down the walk and puts her in the back of the car.

Roy expects them to leave so he's surprised when Oliver slams the car door shut and turns back to Roy, pulling out his wallet as he approaches him.

"I'd like to thank you for your discretion," Oliver says, pulling out a wad of fifties. "I'd appreciate it if no one finds out about this."

Roy's stomach squirms a little. The rich really are different. If by different, you mean throwing wads of cash at people instead of saying thank you like a normal person.

"I don't want your money," he tells Oliver, who frowns, his hand freezing halfway to Roy.

"Please," Oliver says stiffly. "My family's privacy is important to me. I'm sure you can understand that."

"You don't have to buy me off. I wouldn't sell her out for a story, if that's what you're worried about."

"Why not? Most people would."

Roy shrugs. "She's my friend."

Oliver considers this. "What's your name, again?"

"Roy. Roy Harper."

Oliver blinks, a strange expression crossing his face for a moment, and then nods his head before putting his wallet away.

"Thea's lucky to have a friend looking out for her," Oliver says, although his tone is a little sour. "I don't suppose Sara is hiding out inside, is she?"

"Don't know a Sara," Roy says evenly, thinking about the way she shoved him earlier.

Oliver snorts. "I'm sure you don't. Well it's a good thing you were here, then."

"Coincidence," Roy explains with a shrug. "I live near here."

Oliver shakes his head. "Thea doesn't believe in coincidence."

Roy shifts his feet awkwardly and Oliver sighs, and holds his hand out to give Roy a handshake that could crack a few bones easily.

"Have a good night, Roy," Oliver says. "Thanks for looking out for Thea."

And then he's gone, disappearing into the SUV, leaving Roy alone


	4. Chapter 4

Thea wakes up at noon with a dry mouth and a pounding headache. She groans, clutching her head and cursing Sara Lance. Some friend she is, getting Thea wasted and then sneaking off to leave her to get caught. What a little bitch.

When Thea turns her phone on she has three apology texts from Sara. She ignores them, a little pissed off at being abandoned in the freaking Glades. She pulls her hair up into a messy ponytail, frowning.

How did she even get home last night?

Thea pulls on an old tee shirt she stole from Ollie years ago and pads downstairs to get the first of many glasses of water. When she gets to the bottom of the stairs she freezes. Ollie's in the living room, sitting on one of the black leather couches, staring blankly into the fireplace.

"What are you doing here?" she croaks. "I thought you had to go to Central City."

"I rescheduled."

"Why?"

"Can you come sit down, please?"

"Ollie, what's going on? You never cancel work trips."

"Sit down, Speedy," he snaps, and Thea shuffles to the couch, curling up in a corner.

Her brother stands up in front of her, running a hand through his short hair. "Is there anything you want to tell me?"

"No," she says sullenly.

"Thea."

"What?"

"Look, I know that..." Ollie trails off, his thumb and forefinger rubbing together. "I know that this has been a hard year for you."

 _Duh_ , she thinks, crossing her arms tightly around her chest.

"And I know things weren't easy for you while I was gone, either."

"What're you getting at?" she asks wearily.

"I know, Thea."

She stares at him blankly. "You know what?"

Her brother gives her a look that makes her insides squirm. "I know you had a drug problem while I was on the island."

Her mouth falls open. "How did you-how did you..."

"Tommy," Oliver says quietly.

Tommy Merlyn. What a freaking traitor.

"So what?" she says in a hard voice. "Nothing you didn't do when you were my age."

"That's not the point," Ollie says impatiently. "Look, I get it, you're young, you're having fun, whatever. But don't you think this is getting a little out of control?"

"By the time you were my age you were practically living in the back of Lance's squad car."

"This was the second night this week you've needed to get picked up in the Glades. This is unacceptable," he says stiffly.

"What do you care?" Thea says, kind of nastily. What a hypocrite. _Unacceptable_ her ass. Did he really think Tommy didn't tell her about all the stunts they pulled when they were teenagers?

"Thea, please," her brother says tiredly. "I'm doing my best here."

"You're never here at all!" she retorts. "You're always at work."

"I'm here now," he says seriously, sitting down next to her. "I cancelled my trip to be here."

"Whatever," she mumbles, shifting deeper in the couch.

"I'm doing the best that I can," he says tiredly. "I'm sorry if that's not enough, but you don't have to punish me by acting out like this."

"I'm not acting out. Everything's fine, you don't have to worry about me."

"Yeah, I don't. Because you're grounded."

She stares at him. "What?"

"You heard me."

"You can't do that."

"I just did."

"I can't believe you!" she yells, jumping up from the couch. "This is so unfair!"

"Thea-"

"You can't do this!" she wails.

"I'm your guardian, Thea."

"Yeah," she says angrily. "Which means you're not my parent!"

"I'm still in charge of you."

She glares at him, years of built up anger boiling in her veins. "Sometimes I wish you died on that island."

Ollie stumbles back like she hit him, his face going pale. She's already retreating, ready to hide under the covers for the rest of the day, so when he whispers under his breath she barely hears the words.

"Sometimes I wish I had too."

xxx

She catches Ollie sneaking out a few hours later.

"Where are you going?" she asks from the stair landing, crossing her arms defiantly.

"Work," he says shortly.

"It's four pm on a Saturday."

"It's an emergency," he says, eyes firmly on the floor.

Thea arches her eyebrow, taking in the fact that he's wearing a henley and jeans, not a suit, and he has a small duffle bag slung over his shoulder instead of his briefcase.

Unbelievable. He's leaving her for a hookup.

"Don't try and leave," Oliver tells her. "Mr. Diggle is posted in the hallway until I get back."

She sighs heavily and sits down on the top step. "He doesn't have to do that."

Her brother meets her eyes and Thea flinches when she sees the pain they hold. Since the day he came back from the island she has been haunted by her brother's eyes.

"Yes, he really does," he says, and she doesn't argue, because no one wins against Oliver.

He leaves.

Thea does her usual routine when she's in the loft alone- she double locks the door and all the windows and goes from room to room, switching on the lights.

In her room she pulls out a small white pill from her stash under her mattress and takes it down to the den, where she pours vodka into a tumbler and tosses the pill back with the liquor.

She turns on MTV and pulls out her phone, deciding to make up with Sara, who has sent her another follow up text begging forgiveness and promising to make it up to her. Her thumb hovers on Sara's name when she notices a new entry in her contact list right above Sara.

Roy Harper.

A phone number.

Thea grins to herself. She's not allowed to leave the loft, but Ollie didn't say anything about having friends over.

xxx

Thea doesn't live in a giant castle on an acre of land but in a fancy glass high rise in downtown Starling City. Roy gets cleared as a guest by the doorman in the lobby and takes the elevator up to the top, where it opens into a hallway with only one door.

The man from the other night is there, standing in front of the door in a black suit and a Bluetooth in his ear.

"Hi," Roy says, a little unsure. "I'm here to see Thea?"

"Mr. Harper," the man says, holding out his hand for Roy to shake. "John Diggle."

"Hi."

"Do you have any weapons on your person?"

Roy blinks at the question. "A pocketknife."

Thea's personal doorman (bodyguard? butler?) holds out his hand and Roy pulls the knife out of his back pocket and hands it over.

"You can have this back when you leave."

Mr. Diggle knocks on the door using some kind of code-three short knocks followed by two long ones-and Thea opens the door.

She looks more like a regular teenager than a socialite today. Her hair is pulled back in a messy ponytail and she's wearing jeans with holes in the knees and a cut off tank top.

Roy suppresses a groan, because she's even prettier like this, stripped down and natural.

"Thanks," she says, smiling gratefully at Mr. Diggle, who nods his head and gives her a gentle smile back.

Thea reaches for Roy's hand and her smile grows. "Come on in."

The loft is huge, all high ceilings and burning fireplaces. The furniture is sparse, a lot of leather couches and not much else. It looks more like a bachelor pad than a home.

"I have to admit, I was expecting a mansion," he confesses.

"Used to have one of those," she says lightly, twirling around the huge open room. "My brother sold it after my mom died. Said it wasn't worth the upkeep."

"So now you live here with him? Your brother?"

"Yeah. He's my legal guardian. Don't worry; he's not here right now. He's 'working'."

"Really?"

"My brother takes his playboy rep very seriously," she says dryly. "I'm just cramping his style."

"I'm sure that's not true," Roy says, and Thea shrugs.

"It's okay. It's not his fault he got stuck with me. Come on, let's hang out in the den. That's where all the alcohol is."

The den is twice the size of Roy's apartment. It has another huge leather couch (Oliver apparently has a thing for leather) a fully stocked wet bar, and a flat screen that makes Roy drool.

Thea mixes vodka, peach schnapps, and orange juice into a glass and hands it to him.

"Nice," he says appreciatively, taking a sip. "You're not half bad at this."

"Can't take credit," she says with a cheeky smile, mixing on for herself. "My friend Sara taught me."

Roy snorts. "I remember Sara."

"Right. Sorry, last night is a little fuzzy. I'm assuming you're the reason I got home okay?" Thea asks, plopping down on the couch and curling her legs under her.

"Yeah," he says, joining her on the couch. "Sorry about Sara."

"It's okay," Thea shrugs.

"You're not mad at her?"

She sighs, shaking her head. "I'm not saying it's cool she left me there, but I get it. Her dad is really scary sometimes."

Thea stretches out, her feet ending up in his lap. "Good thing you were there, huh?"

"Yeah," he says, staring at her little toes, like tiny pink painted shells.

She smiles lazily at him, taking a big sip of her drink. "I'm glad you're here. It gets lonely here sometimes."

Roy wants to ask how a billionaire could ever get lonely, but he just smiles and squeezes her ankle. They're halfway through a hilariously bad movie of the week when the TV blares an alert and the movie cuts out, jumping to the local news.

"Breaking news," the man behind the reporter desk announces. "The Starling City vigilante has interrupted a robbery in progress at the Starling City Museum of Modern Art. The thieves were caught by vigilante, who incapacitated the guilty party and left them for the police."

The camera cuts to grainy footage of the vigilante exiting the museum, shooting an arrow up at a building and disappearing into the night.

"Whoa," Roy says. "That's awesome."

Thea laughs. "Are you one of those guys who has a raging man crush on the vigilante?"

"I don't have a man crush," he sneers.

"Sure," she says giving him a cheeky smile.

"I think what's he's doing is important," Roy tries to explain. "Where I live crime happens every minute and the cops don't do anything. Nobody cares about us. At least _he's_ doing something."

"He's killed people," Thea points out.

"Yeah, criminals."

"You think that makes it okay?" She has a look of genuine curiosity on her face, like it really matters what he thinks.

"I think sometimes you have to do bad things to accomplish good things."

"So the means justify the ends?"

"Yes," he says resolutely.

Thea studies his face carefully. "You've really thought about this, haven't you?"

"He's making the city better. That has to count for something, right?"

She smiles. "So it's the hero thing."

"Your words, not mine."

"You're my hero," she says quietly.

Roy's hand tightens on his glass. "What do you mean?"

"You've already saved me twice this week," she points out. "See, you're like him. Saving the young and defenseless."

He turns to Thea and her cheeks flush. There's something about her that stands out more than her lithe body and pretty face.

Something sad.

"Do you need saving?" he asks carefully.

Thea leans in close to him. She smells like expensive perfume and citrus from her drink and he wants to inhale her, lick her from top to bottom.

"I don't know," she whispers. "But I think I should keep you around. Just in case."

Roy's fingers find her wrist, her bones small and delicate in his hand. "Works for me."


	5. Chapter 5

Ollie doesn't come home until two in the morning.

Thea waits up for him in her room, curling up with a blanket on the floor with the door cracked so she can hear when he comes up the stairs.

Something she will begrudgingly admit about her brother: he always comes home.

She waits in her room while he has a conversation downstairs with Mr. Diggle that she can barely make out. She waits when she hears heavy footsteps on the stairs that veer right towards his room down the hall.

Thea gives him another ten minutes before slipping out of her room and going into his. Ollie's in bed, watching a replay of the vigilante from earlier tonight on the flatscreen mounted on the wall above his dresser.

"Hey," she says quietly, hanging in the doorway. "Long night?"

Her brother nods tersely, his eyes on the tv.

"I'm sorry about earlier," she apologizes, staring at her feet.

Her brother mutes the television. "You can come in," he says.

Thea takes a couple of steps into the room, her feet sinking into the plush carpet.

"I shouldn't have said what I said. I didn't mean it."

Her brother nods gravely and Thea can see how tired he is, sees the dark circles under his eyes.

"I just wanted to tell you that," she says in a small voice.

"Thanks," he says quietly. "I appreciate it."

"Ollie..."

"Yeah, Speedy."

She bites her lip, shifting her feet. "Can I sleep in here tonight?"

She used to sleep in his room all the time, before the island, back when she was a kid. Sometimes she'd have nightmares about a fire breathing dragon coming to eat her and she'd run down the hall to Ollie's bedroom, crying.

"Don't be silly," he'd tell her, picking her up so she could crawl into his bed. "Dragons don't eat little girls."

"But they eat princesses."

"Of course you think you're a princess," he'd teased, but she didn't get the joke.

"But mom's a queen," she'd said, confused. "Doesn't that mean I'm a princess?"

Her brother had laughed, but nicely, and said, "Well lucky for you, that makes me a prince. You know what's so great about princes?"

"What?" she'd asked in awe.

"Princes slay dragons. As long as you're with me the dragon can't get you."

Then he left on The Gambit and she was alone, with no one to protect her.

Her brother nods shortly and pulls back the covers of the king bed.

"You're getting too old for this," he admonishes gently. "You're not a little kid anymore."

"Don't care," she mumbles, curling up on her side and burying under the covers. "I sleep better in here with you."

"I know," Ollie sighs, and leans down to drop a kiss on her forehead. "I understand."

Thea's eyes drift shut, falling into a half sleep while her brother finishes watching the news segment. When it's over he goes into the bathroom for a few minutes and turns the light off when he comes out.

"Night, Thea," he whispers, sliding into bed.

"Don't let the dragon get me," she murmurs.

His hand finds hers under the covers and he squeezes. "Never."

xxx

By the time Roy gets back home from Thea's it's past midnight, so the last thing he expects to see when he goes into his building is Felicity come in right behind him, struggling to balance her mail, tote bag and a handful of folders.

"What're you doing home so late Blondie?" Roy asks, holding the inner door to the lobby open for her.

"Oh thank you," she breathes, gripping her keys and stepping through the doorway. "I swear, I need two extra hands sometimes."

"You weren't seriously working this late, were you?"

Felicity is some kind of computer genius; she works at a big company in the IT department. She's lived in his building for four years, ever since she moved to Starling City.

When Roy asked her why she was living in the Glades with a nice cushy job like that she'd blushed and gone on a rant about mountains of student loans and stalker ex-boyfriends until she covered her mouth in embarrassment and explained that she had a 'bit of a filter problem'.

Roy had felt so bad for her he offered to help her unpack. They've been friends ever since.

"Computers never sleep," Felicity says, following him up the stairs to the second floor. "Well of course they sleep, but you know, not at night, not like people have to sleep."

She catches the look on his face and blushes. "I'm shutting up now."

"You didn't walk home, right?"

"Of course not."

"Good," he says shortly.

"You are so sweet," she teases, pinching his cheek. "Always worrying about me."

"Someone's got to."

"I have a Jewish mother Roy, trust me, the worrying is covered."

"Yeah, yeah." They stop when they get to his door and Felicity leans against the wall.

"Come over this week, I'll make you dinner," she says, nudging his hip.

"Now who's worrying?"

"You're a growing boy, you can't live on spaghetti-o's."

"Says who?"

"Me." Felicity smiles and Roy grins back. When Felicity's in a good mood it's contagious.

"Whoa, is that a smile?" Felicity teases. "Someone had a good night."

"Yeah," he says, thinking about Thea's green eyes and her little delicate hands. "Yeah, I did."

"Did you meet a girl?"

"Shut up, Blondie," he mumbles.

"Oh my god, you did!" Felicity squeals.

"Calm down, I barely know her."

"Is she pretty?"

Roy can't meet her eyes and Felicity laughs.

"That's good," she says. "You are way too cute to not have a girlfriend."

He gives Felicity a flirty grin, just to make her blush. "You know I'm only single because you won't go out with me."

Felicity gives him a patient smile. "That's because I'm way too old for you."

"You're twenty-four."

"And you're nineteen!"

"I'd treat you good," he says salaciously, wriggling his eyebrows.

"Ew. Stop," she says.

" _Ew_?"

"You're my best friend," she says easily. "Let's not mess it up. Besides, seriously, you are a baby. A beautiful little baby, but a baby."

"Whatever."

Felicity kisses him cheek. "Come on, you know I'll always love you most of all."

Roy grins and tugs on her ponytail. "Yeah, me too."

xxx

She wakes up screaming. It's dark and Thea can't breathe and her mother is dead, and all she can do is scream.

"Thea! Hey, hey, stop, it's okay." _Ollie_.

"Mom," she sobs pathetically, curling up in a ball.

Her mother is dead, and it's all her fault.

"Shh, it's okay, c'mere." Oliver pulls her up by her arms and she crawls into his lap, gasping for air.

"Breathe," he murmurs. "Come on, Speedy. Just breathe."

He settles her against his chest and she cries into his shirt until she feels like she's going to rip in half. Ollie flattens his palm against her back, taking deep slow breaths for her to mimic.

"Come on, work with me here," her brother mutters. "You've got to breathe."

She starts to shake, her fingers turning white as they clutch his shirt.

"Dammit," he swears. "Don't do this. Look at me, look at me Thea."

He grips her face and she slams her eyes shut.

"I'm sorry," she sobs. "Oh god, Ollie, I'm so sorry."

"Look at me," he whispers. "Please."

She opens her eyes and starts to bawl when she sees the look on his face, like he's in pain. The only thing worse than seeing her brother hurt is seeing him hurt for her.

"It wasn't your fault," he says fiercely. "I promise, it wasn't your fault."

She shakes her head, unable to argue because she can't stop crying.

"Shh," he whispers. He guides her head down to his chest and rocks her like a baby while she cries.

"You're safe," he whispers. "I've got you. Just relax."

"Why is this happening?" she cries, and beats her fist uselessly against his chest. "I don't understand why this is still happening."

"You need to give it time," he says soothingly. "It'll get easier."

"But what if it doesn't?" What if it never gets easier? What if she spends the rest of her nights relieving her mother's death?

"Then I'll be here," Oliver vows.

"Promise?"

"Promise." He even finds her pinkie finger and hooks it around his.

"I'll always protect you," he tells her quietly, which makes her cry harder because its true and she was such a bitch to him earlier.

"I'm sorry," she sniffs. " I'm always messing up and getting in trouble and you do everything for me anyway, even though I'm a brat."

"You're not a brat."

"Yes I am." She rubs at her cheeks with her hand. "I'm sorry you had to give up your life to take care of me."

"Hey," he says firmly. "Without you, there is no life."

"Ollie."

"I mean it. You're my family, Thea. You're my _only_ family. You matter more than anything to me, okay?"

"Okay."

He kisses her temple. "Close your eyes."

"I don't want to go to sleep."

"Just try," he whispers.

He has to hold her for a long time before she falls back asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Roy spends all week with Thea. They go out to the movies, eat ice cream in the park, sit for hours in the plaza by the fountain, just talking.

He pays for everything, even when she tries pulling her wallet out, because he understands how this works.

Growing up with Felicity next door has been helpful when it comes to stuff like this ( _always pay_ , she would tell him after a bad date, inhaling a pint of mint chocolate chip, _or the girl won't know it's a date_ ).

Thea always rolls her eyes but she lets him, and whispers thank you in the sweetest voice, like buying her an ice cream cone for the sheer pleasure of watching her kitten pink tongue lap it up is a big deal.

On Wednesday Roy picks her up from school. He waits outside at the bottom of the steps of Starling Prep, Thea's posh private high school.

At three-fifteen a bell rings and a few minutes later kids in navy blue blazers carrying backpacks and leather messenger bags spill out the doors.

Eventually he spots curly brown hair among the sea of heads and Thea comes skipping down the steps, her face lighting up when she sees him.

"Oh my god, I'm so excited to see you, today has really sucked," she says in a rush, throwing her arms around him.

"Why'd school suck?" he asks, taking her book bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

"You weren't there." Thea tugs on the bag's strap. "No one to carry all my stuff around for me either."

He looks her up and down in that little plaid skirt. "I'm sure you could find someone to do it."

Thea shakes her head playfully and squeezes his bicep. "Nope. None of the guys at my school have arms like these."

"Thea Queen, are you flirting with me?" Roy asks in faux shock.

Thea grins slyly, her fingers curling around his arm. "I believe I am, Mr. Harper."

"Thea!" They turn their heads as Sara Lance runs up to them, her blond ponytail flying in the wind.

"Oh, hey, Roy," Sara says, and turns to Thea. "I need a minute."

Thea bites her lip, looking back at Roy.

"Oh come on, lover boy can wait one minute," Sara says impatiently.

"I'm going to grab a coffee," Roy tells Thea, nodding his head at the Starbucks across the street. "Meet you in five?"

Thea smiles and kisses his cheek. Over her shoulder Roy catches Sara's smirk.

He walks across the street and buys a small cup of coffee, and waits for Thea by the glass doors.

Sara and Thea are still standing on the sidewalk. Sara reaches into her bag and then her palm touches Thea's, like they're holding hands for a quick second, before Thea's hand pulls away and stuffs something in the pocket of her blazer.

The girls hug and separate, Sara heading down the sidewalk and Thea crossing the street to him.

"Hi," she says brightly when she comes in, reaching for his hand.

"Everything okay with Sara?"

"Yeah, she just had a question about our history paper." Thea gives Roy an innocent smile that could fool the devil.

Roy squeezes her hand, feeling a pit in his stomach as they walk back outside.

Thea has a secret.

xxx

The pills Thea got from Sara are clear green capsules. She stands in the bathroom examining one between her fingers, her heart pounding.

Half the rush is the anticipation, the knowingness of something to come, something better. Something like relief.

Sara told her it's a new street drug. Vertigo.

"You'll love this," Sara had said. "Your mind will be blown. Be careful though, okay? Only take one."

Thea had scoffed and held her hand out, and Sara pressed them into her palm like a promise.

The pills burned a hole in her pocket all afternoon while she was with Roy. He took her to get pizza, because they only go places he can afford, even though she wouldn't mind taking him somewhere nice.

She thinks it's adorable, how much pride he has, how hard he's trying to prove that he doesn't care about her money.

Thea went home after dinner to work on her history paper and came home to an empty loft (no Mr. Diggle either, which was strange). She managed to do some work for awhile, until Ollie texted her around nine to tell her he would be working late and she shouldn't wait up.

Thea rolls the pill between her fingers. There's something aching deep in her chest, some horrible wave of loneliness that makes her want to cry.

She loves her brother but she doesn't know how to tell him that it really hurts her feelings that he's never here, that he doesn't want to eat dinner with her or teach her how to drive a stick shift.

She can't tell him because it's her fault their mother is dead, her fault they're in this situation in the first place.

She doesn't blame Ollie for hating her.

Thea takes the pill.

To her surprise the drug starts to come on in only manner of minutes. A wave of euphoria hits her halfway down the stairs to the den, and she has to stop, gripping the banister so she doesn't fall as she bends over at the waist, laughing.

Fuck Ollie. She doesn't need him. Thea doesn't need anything, not when she feels like this.

It takes her a long time to get down the stairs, tiptoeing carefully because moving is making her dizzy. _Vertigo. Get it?_ She giggles to herself as she floats to the den, weightless.

She makes it to the couch and sprawls out, managing to get the tv on before dropping her cheek to the cool leather seat. She stays like that for a long time, watching as colors blur and dance around her, the Vertigo rolling through her like a wave.

At some point she loses time altogether. Everything boils down to sensation: the cool leather on her skin, the sounds from the tv, words that flit around her without registering.

Thea lies on her side and watches the pretty lights dance, watches everything blur and fade and nothing matters because she can't feel anything.

She can't feel, and it's a gift. She loves Sara for this, for giving her something that makes all the pain go away.

She drifts off for a while, falling into a half sleep. When she wakes up its pitch black outside and the time on her phone reads after midnight.

Thea shivers and turns the volume up on the tv to fill the silence of the loft.

The cold comes on in a freezing ache, and she wraps a blanket around herself, curling up in a ball on the couch. She shivers violently, her teeth clacking together.

The euphoria has worn off, leaving her feeling depressingly empty, and Thea tightens her hold on the blanket.

She doesn't know how long she sits there, the coldness invading every cell of her body until it hurts, too tired and sleepy to move.

She cries silent tears, trying to remind herself that she's just coming down, that it's like this sometimes, with drugs.

Eventually she hears the door of the loft bang open, hears the heavy footsteps in the open living room/kitchen.

"Thea?"

She tries to call out to him but it's like ice in her throat.

"Thea, you still up? All the lights are on."

 _Come find me_ , she prays, like they're playing a game of hide and seek gone wrong.

 _Find me_.

"Thea?"

Oliver sticks his head in the den and when she doesn't respond he comes into the room.

"Hey, why are you still up?"

She tries to talk and it comes out as a strangled noise in the back of her throat.

"What's wrong?" He's there instantly, dropping to the floor in front of her.

She tries to tell him that she's fine but she's so cold and it hurts, and she just wants to close her eyes and go to sleep.

"Shit. Are you high?" Her ever observant brother jumps into action, taking her pulse and looking into her eyes to check her pupils. "Talk to me Speedy, what'd you take?"

"Ver-ver-"

"Vertigo?"

"Yeah," she slurs.

"No, no, no," Oliver says hurriedly. "Hold on, just stay awake for me, Thea, stay with me."

Oliver scoops her off the couch and carries her to the kitchen. He gets her on a stool and Thea slumps over the counter.

Ollie bangs around the kitchen, boiling water and pouring it into a mug and mixing something in with the water that looks like dirt.

"Drink," he says urgently.

He makes her sit up and holds the mug to her lips, one hand cupping the back of her head. She opens her mouth and gags and spits it back up but he tilts her head back and forces it down her throat.

"You're okay," he says tightly, holding her head up for her. "That's it, good girl."

"Ew, what is that?" she splutters. "It tastes like ass."

"You'll be okay now," he says heavily. "It's an herbal thing, it counteracts the drug."

"I was okay."

"You could have overdosed," he snaps. "Two girls did Vertigo at Verdant last week and overdosed in the bathroom. It was a nightmare."

"Why are you yelling?" she groans. "All you ever do is yell at me."

To her surprise Oliver flinches.

"I'm sorry," he says haltingly. "You scared me. I didn't mean to yell at you."

"Okay," Thea murmurs, laying her head down on the counter. She's too tired to put up a fight.

"I want to help you," Oliver says thickly. "But every time I try it feels like I just screw things up more."

She starts to cry again quietly, into her arm so he can't see.

"Please, Speedy," he says in a low voice. "I'm sorry I haven't been here for you. I know I suck at this. I'm not really that good at taking care of people, but I'm trying. I'll try harder. Just, please don't do this. I can't watch you do this."

"I'm sorry," she says hoarsely. "I won't do again."

Ollie kisses the top of her head. "You scared the hell out of me."

Christ, I get it, she thinks. Her brother has an exceptional talent for laying out a good guilt trip.

"I know it probably doesn't seem this way," he says. "But everything I do is because I love you."

"Is that why you're never here? Because you love me?"

Oliver sighs and rubs his eyes. "I know you're having a hard time adjusting to living here. You've made that very clear."

"How would you know, you're never here!"

"It's pretty obvious how you feel, even if you won't just say it."

"Isn't that why you make me go to fucking therapy?" Thea snaps. "So you can pay some stranger to listen to me for you?"

"I make you go to therapy because two days after our mother was killed in front of us you were kidnapped and it took me four months to find you! Forgive me if I was concerned about your mental state!"

"And when have you ever talked to anybody about what happened to you?"

Oliver shuts down, crossing his arms and turning away from her. "That's different."

"Sure," she scoffs. "Because you're Ollie. You're so fucking special the rules don't apply to you. You can do whatever the hell you want."

"I'm not going to apologize if that's where you're going with this."

She slides off her school. "Don't worry, I know better than to expect that from you."

"I was protecting you!"

"Sure," she nods gravely. "That's your excuse for everything, isn't it?"

Oliver scowls at her. "You don't understand."

"At this point Ollie, I don't think I want to."

"Thea-"

"I don't want to do this right now. I'm tired, I'm going to bed."

"Fine," Oliver snarls. "Run away, like you always do."

Her mouth drops open. "I can't believe you would say that to me."

Oliver goes pale. "I'm sorry, I should have-"

"You know what, Ollie? You can go fuck yourself."

She turns and runs to her room, slamming the door shut and flipping the lock before collapsing facedown on her bed.

Thea cries herself to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Roy gets dinner with Sin at Big Belly Burger Thursday night and cuts through the alley of Verdant on his way home.

Verdant is the newest club in the Glades. It was owned by Tommy Merlyn, some rich kid who died in the freak earthquake last year.

Roy knows this because there was a vigil held outside Verdant for days after Tommy's death, like the dude was the patron saint of clubbing.

Kids are spilling out around the back entrance of the club, partygoers in tight dresses and button downs. Roy's just past the crush when someone yells his name.

When he turns around he sees a few of his fellow street friends, lowlifes who run drugs or girls for cash.

"Hey, where you been, man?" one of them asks. "You've been awol all week."

Hands in his pockets, head tilted casually like he doesn't give a fuck, Roy gives him a snide grin. "I've been around."

"Sure. Heard you found a nice piece of tail."

Roy scowls. "What would you know about it?"

"People saw you leaving Slade's party with a girl."

"So?"

"Not any girl though, right Harper?"

"Whatever, man."

The guy leers at him. "You're fucking _Thea_ fucking _Queen_. How'd you pull that off?"

"Dude, back the fuck up, like now. Leave her out of it," Roy warns.

"What, you think you're better than us now? You bag a rich hottie, you think you're getting out of here?"

"Fuck you," Roy spits, and punches him right across the jaw.

"What the hell, man! Marisa's gonna kill me, did you have to get my face?" The guy scowls and walks away, the other guys trailing him.

Roy shakes out his hand, swearing to himself. He's on probation, if he got charged with assault again he'd get more than anger management.

"You're punching all wrong."

Roy whirls around at the voice and sees of all people, Oliver Queen, leaning casually against the wall.

"Excuse me?" What the hell is Oliver Queen doing in the Glades?

"Your aim's a little off. You want your first and second knuckles to hit first, not your third. That's why your hand hurts."

Roy shakes his head in disbelief. "So you're the expert?"

Oliver grins and then, lightning fast, clocks Roy in the face and shoves him up against the wall.

"Another tip," Oliver hisses. "Don't underestimate your opponent."

"What the hell!" Roy clutches at his face and groans. "What's your damage, man?"

"You and I need to have a little talk, Roy."

"And was punching me really necessary?"

"No, that was just because I felt like it," Oliver growls.

"What's your fucking problem?"

"Did you sell my sister drugs, Roy?"

"Did I _what_?"

"Did you sell drugs to Thea?" Oliver yells.

"No, man, Jesus! I don't know what you're talking about!"

"My sister starts hanging around you and all of a sudden she's doing Vertigo! Is that just a coincidence Roy?"

"I swear I'm not a dealer! Thea's my friend, I wouldn't give her something like that!"

"And why should I believe you?" Oliver hisses.

"Because my dad drank himself to death when I was four and the last time I saw my mom she spent our rent money on crystal," he snaps. "That good enough for you?"

Oliver releases him and takes a step back.

"Sorry," he mutters. "She wouldn't tell me where she got it from. I know she's not perfect but she's never done this before."

"So you just assumed I gave it to her." Roy cradles his throbbing cheek with his hand. "'Cus I'm just a loser from the Glades, right?"

Oliver looks away. "I was a little...overzealous, I suppose. You really didn't know anything about this?"

Roy suddenly remembers Sara, slipping something into Thea's hand outside school the day before.

He doesn't want to rat out Sara the cop's daughter but there's no way he's taking the blame for this. He's heard about what Vertigo does to you. Hell, he knows three people who've overdosed in the past month.

Vertigo-the drug that makes you feel so good, until you start to trip and everything goes south, fast.

Or so Roy's heard.

"Thea didn't tell me anything, if that's what you're asking."

"Shit," Oliver sighs. "I thought I knew girls, you know? Like how to talk them about stuff. But I can't get her to fucking say anything to me."

"Girls probably don't like it when their brothers hit their friends."

"Sorry about your face," Oliver apologizes. "You should put some ice on it."

"Yeah," Roy huffs. "I'll get right on that. Jesus Christ."

"So you guys really are friends huh?" Oliver asks quietly.

"That so hard to believe?" he mutters.

Oliver shrugs. "Seems like you really like her."

"Thea's cool even if her brother's a jackass."

Oliver laughs. "Hey, mind doing me a favor?"

"Sure dude, that's how things work. You hit me and I do you a favor, that's totally fair."

Oliver huffs lightly. "Yeah, guess I deserve that. Look, it's cool with me if you two hang out, but could you please keep her out of the Glades?"

"Yeah, sure," Roy mumbles. He doesn't know why he's disappointed, that Thea's brother knows what everyone else knows-that's she's way too good for him.

"You need a ride home?" Oliver offers.

"Nah man, I live close to here."

Roy turns to walk away but Oliver just stands there, looking down with his hands in his pockets, and Roy can't help but feel bad for the guy.

"When I was a kid," Roy says, "my mom could never afford a babysitter so she'd drag me around everywhere. Sometimes she's forget to feed me for a while or I'd be bored out of my mind, and I'd throw a tantrum, just to get her to remember I was there, you know?"

"Sounds rough."

Roy shrugs. "You work a lot, right? Like, aren't you gone most nights?"

"So?" Oliver asks defensively.

"So maybe if you actually spent time with Thea she wouldn't have to act out to get you to pay attention to her."

"Hey!" Oliver calls off when Roy starts to walk away. "Why'd you hit that guy anyway?"

Roy winces. No way he's gonna tell Oliver that.

"No reason," he says, raising an ironic eyebrow. "Just felt like it."

Roy cubs his throbbing cheek as he walks home, feeling the bruise start to form.

He sighs. Guess he's not seeing Thea for a little while.

xxx

On Friday Thea texts Roy three times and calls him twice but it's like he's suddenly disappeared. He doesn't respond to her at all.

She doesn't know what she's done wrong. The last time she saw him was Wednesday, the night she almost overdosed on Vertigo.

Thursday was Therapy Thursday, where she got to recount her latest drug related exploit and her brother's consequent freak out for a woman who charges $200/hour to listen and say hmm.

By seventh period she can't take it anymore and cuts. Mr. Diggle will be waiting outside the school entrance to pick her up, like most days, at 3:15.

She has two hours to find Roy and show him what happens when you ignore a Queen.

Thea takes a bus down to the Glades. She keeps her head down when she gets off the bus, ignores halfhearted catcalls from drugged out guys loitering on the street corners.

Roy's building looks even sadder in the daytime. The walls are cheap and scuffed and the front door is dented industrial steel.

Thea realizes she doesn't know what apartment Roy lives in when she gets to the ancient cracked buzzer outside the door.

Next to the buzzer is a list of last names and codes. Right below F. Smoak in 2C is L. Harper in 2D.

The hesitates over the L before figuring it's for one of his parents and hits the buzzer for Harper.

"Hello?"

"Well you weren't hard to find at all, Harper."

"Shit."

"Where the hell have you been?" she yells into the speaker.

"Go away, Thea."

"Are you kidding me? I will stand out here all day, Roy Harper, so if you want me to go away you better come down here and tell it to my face."

"Jesus Christ."

Thea steps back smugly from the speaker and waits for him in front of the building with her arms crossed.

Roy comes out a few minutes later looking annoyingly hot in dark jeans and his red hoodie zipped over his bare chest.

Then he turns his head and she sees the purple bruise blooming across one cheek.

"What happened?" she cries, reaching out to touch it.

Roy bats her hand away. "It's nothing."

"Someone hit you!"

Roy shrugs nonchalantly.

"This is why you've been ignoring me?" she says angrily. "You got in a fight?"

"Nah," Roy mutters. "Just some guy with an ax to grind."

"Is that better?"

Roy squints at her. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"I cut."

Roy shakes his head at her. "Great. I can't wait to get blamed for this too."

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing. Forget it."

"Roy."

His hands clench at his sides like Ollie's do when he's stressed out.

"Come on," he says, resting a heavy hand on her shoulder. "I'll put you on a bus back to school."

"Why are you acting like this?" she cries, slipping out of his grasp. "What did I do?"

Roy grits his teeth. "You didn't do anything, okay?"

"Then why are you mad at me?"

"Fuck." Roy groans softly and presses the heels of his hands into his eyes. "Thea, why are you even here?"

"What do you mean?" she frowns. "I wanted to see you."

"You wanted to see me," he repeats.

"Yeah," she says. "I like you. You like me, don't you?"

He flinches.

"Roy?" she asks, hating the way her voice wavers.

"This isn't a good idea," he says tightly.

"What's not?"

"This. You and me."

She steps back from him in shock. "What do you mean?"

"I mean you're a rich girl and I'm a loser from the Glades!" he snaps. "This will never work!"

She stares at him. "Why not?"

"Because I'm not good for you, okay?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" she asks, her voice cracking.

"I'm older than you, I live it a shitty neighborhood, and I don't exactly pay my rent with a nine-to-five, Thea."

"So?"

"So you should be dating safe little prep school guys! Look at you, you're walking through the Glades by yourself just to see me! It's not safe, Thea. I'm not safe."

"Since when?" she yells. "Is this about what happened?"

She gestures to his face. "You think I don't want to be with you anymore, just because you're not some stuck up asshole in a blazer who only cares about how I could be an asset to him because of my last name? Are you serious?"

She steps close to Roy, who's looking painfully to the side.

"You like me," she whispers. "I know you like me. Why are you trying to end things without even giving it a chance?"

"Relationships don't usually end well for me," he mutters.

"Roy," she says insistently, tugging on his arm. "I'm seventeen and both my parents are dead. My brother is barely holding it together. I'm barely holding it together. I don't want perfect. I can't deal with perfect."

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Roy asks.

"Yes," she says insistently. "Look, I don't know what gave you the idea that you're bad for me or I shouldn't be around you. But you're wrong, okay? And by the way, you don't get to just decide what's best for me. I'm my own person."

Roy nods stiffly. "I know that. It's just..."

"What?"

Roy's hand goes to her waist and she exhales sharply at the contact.

"I don't want to hurt you," he says gravely.

Thea reaches for him and he pulls her close. She sighs and his arms press her against the hard muscle of his chest.

"You won't hurt me," she says confidently.

"You don't know that."

She gives him a sly smile and watches the way his eyes track her mouth. "Nothing can hurt me."

He raises an eyebrow at her. "That right, princess?"

She cups a hand around his neck and strokes lightly with her nails. "That's right."

Roy shivers and leans down to press his forehead against hers.

"Goddamn girl," he murmurs.

Thea feels her heart expand like a balloon.

"We good?" she asks softly.

Roy's hand slides from her waist to the small of her back. "Not quite."

She tilts her back to see him looking at her, a muscle twitching in his jaw.

"Thea," he growls, and then his lips are on hers and his hand presses her flush up against him.

He kisses her with perfect pressure and technique; clearly the guy knows what he's doing. She melts against him, her stomachs flip-flopping.

Roy pulls away, his eyes gleaming. "Now we're good."


	8. Chapter 8

Thea wakes up to the curtains being flung open, sunlight flooding her bedroom.

She groans and pulls the covers over her head.

"Come on," Oliver says cheerfully. "Time to wake up."

"It's Saturday," she says into her pillow.

Her brother whips the comforter off her and perches on the edge of her bed. "Come on, we're hanging out today."

She stares at him. "Huh?"

Her brother gives her a hopeful look. "I thought we could go visit Mom."

"Oh," she says in surprise. They haven't been to her mother's grave since they buried her.

"We could stop at that bakery you like on the way," Ollie says. "If you're hungry."

Thea grins. She never turns down a bribe.

She throws on jeans and a nice blouse (her mother hated her beloved crop tops) and they drive to the bakery.

Oliver holds her hand when they cross the street like she's five years old but it's so sweet she can't bring herself to tell him she's too old for him to hold her hand.

He buys her a blueberry muffin and a vanilla latte and when she thanks him he smiles and kisses the top of her head.

"Are you okay?" she asks him when they're into the bar.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"You sure you didn't get a lobotomy?"

Oliver gives her a bemused look. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You're being nice."

"I can be nice."

Thea snorts. "Sure Ollie."

They make one more stop to buy a bouquet of lilies and park the Porsche in the lot at the graveyard. Oliver gets a blanket out of the backseat and they spread in out on the grass in front of their mother's tombstone.

"What do we do now?" she asks.

Her brother shrugs. "No idea."

Thea sips her latte, crossing her legs under her. "We had tombstones for you and Dad put up behind the house."

"I know. I found them."

"Oh," she says quietly.

"Did you visit them?"

"Yeah," she says, swallowing hard. "A lot."

"What did you do?"

"Talk to you."

"Really?"

"For some reason it was a lot easier to talk to you when you were dead."

Oliver laughs weakly. "That's because I couldn't talk back."

"Mom would hate this," Thea sighs, picking at the fringe of the blanket.

"What?"

"You and me."

"We never fought when you were little," Oliver comments.

"That's because you're a decade older than me. I never stood a chance back then."

"You turned out just like Mom," Oliver chuckles.

She frowns. "What do you mean?"

"Mom had my head spinning so fast I didn't know which way was up. I never won with her."

He sighs and slings an arm around her shoulders. "Sorry we've been fighting."

She smiles and leans into him. "Me too."

"When you were a kid I used to babysit you every Saturday."

She looks up at him. "I don't remember that."

"You were pretty little. I guess we stopped when I left for school."

"I was eight then."

"Raisa would get Saturday mornings off. Mom and Dad would go to brunch and I'd take you to do something."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You liked the zoo. Sometimes we'd meet Laurel and she'd get a manicure with you. You always got polish with glitter."

"That sounds nice," she murmurs.

"Yeah. You were so cute."

"Obviously," Thea grins.

Ollie smiles wistfully. "You were the happiest kid. Everywhere I took you people would fall in love you. I loved being your big brother."

"Bet you wish you could trade me in for that girl."

"Things were different back then. I'm not comparing you."

"I wish I remember what that felt like."

"Being happy?" Oliver frowns.

"Yeah."

He nods, his arm tightening around her. "Me too."

For a while they sit there in silence and for the first time in awhile she feels totally safe.

"Hey, Speedy?"

"Yeah?"

"You know you can talk about what happened, right?"

She shudders. "I don't want to talk about what happened."

"It was four months, Thea."

"I'm okay, Ollie."

"No you're not."

"Neither are you."

"I didn't almost overdose on Vertigo."

She stiffens. "It was an accident."

"I know that," Ollie says, sounding frustrated.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Why not?"

Because it hurts. Because he wouldn't understand. Because she feels ashamed.

"Because I don't want to fight."

"You don't think we can talk about it without fighting?"

Thea raises her eyebrows. "Are you going to be mean?"

Oliver pulls away from her. "You think I'm mean?"

"Sometimes," she says sullenly, crossing her arms.

"That's terrible," he says. "I don't want you to think I'm mean."

"Every time you talk to me you get all growly and start yelling and it's scary."

"I scare you?"

"I don't know," she says in a tiny voice.

"Thea " he says, and pulls on her wrist gently. "I don't want you to be scared of me."

"Then why are you always yelling at me?" she says miserably.

"Because I'm an ass," he sighs. "Because I'm killing myself at a job that I'm terrible at. Because I'm stressed out and I'm tired and I suck at feelings."

"You're also kind of a dick."

"I punched Roy."

"That was you?"

"Yeah."

"God Ollie, what is your problem?"

"I made a mistake. He's a good guy."

"Yeah," she says angrily. "He is."

"So you like a guy, huh?"

"Shut up Ollie."

"He nice to you?"

"Yes."

"He better be."

"Yeah, yeah."

"I don't know if I'm cool with you having a boyfriend."

"You let me date Chase."

"You didn't feel this way about Chase."

She looks at him in surprise. "How would you know?"

Her brother squeezes her hand. "Because I know you better than anything. I know you better than I know my own heart."

Her eyes fill with tears. "I'm really sorry. Ollie. I don't want to fight anymore."

He leans down and kisses her forehead. "I know, Speedy. Me too."

xxx

By Saturday Roy's bruise has faded enough for him to feel comfortable eating dinner with Felicity without fear of her figuring out he got in a fight.

The last time Felicity caught him fighting Roy's phone mysteriously stopped working until he promised her that he would get his shit together and stop looking for fights.

Obviously that didn't happen, but he's been smart enough not to get caught (by her, anyway) since.

"What's up with you?" Felicity asks, handing him a small glass of wine.

"Nothing," he says pensively, wishing she would have poured him a full glass.

"I'm not giving you more, you're nineteen," Felicity says.

"Don't do that," he scowls.

"What?"

"Your creepy mind reading thing."

"Seriously, what's with the frowny face?"

"I'm not frowning."

Felicity sighs and sits down next to him at her little table.

"How are things with that girl going?" she asks him.

"I don't know," he says quietly.

"Uh-oh. What does that mean?"

"I really like her-"

"But?" Felicity asks knowingly.

"I think she might have some issues."

"What kind of issues?"

Roy sips his wine. "Her family's messed up. Like, really messed up. And she parties a lot. Which is cool, you know, she's pretty mature, but like, she's pretty young for that, you know?"

Felicity tops off her glass and when he pouts she pours a tiny bit more wine into his glass.

"You're worried about her," she says.

Roy shifts in his chair. "I don't know. I guess."

"Sounds complicated."

"Yeah."

Felicity sighs, frowning down at her wine. "The thing is Roy...you and I know better than most that someone's problems don't define who they are."

Roy nods and drinks his wine.

"Being a girl is really hard," Felicity comments. "Especially being a teenage girl."

"Yeah?"

"I was miserable in high school," she says. "My family was really messed up too. I was poor, which is never good for your social status. And I was super awkward looking."

"No way," Roy argues. "I bet you were super hot when you seventeen."

Felicity snorts. "Not really."

"But you turned out okay."

"I live in a shitty neighborhood, I'm being crushed by student loans, I still have nightmares about my ex, my boss is making me freaking insane, and I stress ate four pints of mint chocolate chip this week."

"So basically, you're killing it."

"Yup." Felicity tosses back her wine. "This is what success looks like."

He leans over and kisses her cheek. "Success looks good on you."

She grins at him. "I'm not letting you have a second glass."

"You're so strict."

"You're better off for it."

"Whatever."

She pinches his cheek. "You're so cute when you're grumpy."

"Quit it," he scowls, and Felicity laughs.

"Hey Liss?"

"That is not my name."

"It's a nickname."

"Quit being lazy and call me my name," she snaps. "It's not my fault it has four syllables."

"God, you're so bossy."

She smiles dangerously at him. "You were saying?"

"Felicity?"

"Yes, Roy-Roy?" she says sweetly.

"Oh, fuck you," he laughs, almost spitting his wine out.

"Not so cute now, is it?"

"Nice one."

She grins. "Sorry, couldn't resist. What's up?"

"You gonna get a boyfriend? You've been single like, forever. "

Felicity blushes. "I don't know."

"You've got to start dating eventually."

Felicity shrugs. "I don't know if I'm ready yet."

"You gonna let Cooper ruin everyone for you?"

"No," Felicity pouts, laying her chin on her folded elbow.

Roy leans down and kisses her head. "You doing okay?"

Felicity smiles and pats his cheek. "You don't have to worry about me. I'm okay."

"You're working too hard," he says, because there are circles under her eyes and she keeps yawning behind her hand.

"Did I mention the boss? He can't do anything without me. The company would go under in a week."

"So tell your boss to nut up."

Felicity laughs. "I would love to see his face if someone said that to him."

"Seriously, don't work too hard, okay? I need you around."

Felicity reaches over and squeezes his hand. "Don't worry. I'll always be here for you."

xxx

His phone rings right after he leaves Felicity's apartment.

Roy pauses on the stairs, digging it out of his sweatshirt and holding it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Harper."

"Laurel?"

"How are you?" she asks formally.

"I'm okay."

"Staying out of trouble I hope?"

"What's up, Laurel?"

"My friend wants to meet you," she says bluntly. "Are you still interested in that?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess so. Who is he?"

"Excuse me?"

"The guy, who is he?"

"Ah-he would prefer not to reveal his identity at this time."

"Why not?"

"My friend is a bit eccentric."

"Okay...?"

"I can assure you that you will find his worldview morally acceptable," she says dryly.

What the fuck does that mean?

"Midnight. Tonight. I'll meet you in front of City Hall."

"City Hall?"

Laurel snorts into the phone. "My friend has a bit of an ironic streak."

Roy meets Laurel at the bottom of the steps of City Hall at exactly midnight, just when she's parking her silver Lexus at the curb.

"Come on," she says briskly, her heels clicking on the steps.

Roy chases after her up the steps. When they get to the doors they open from the inside, and Laurel smiles at the ancient guard holding the door open for her.

"Thanks Bernie," she says gratefully.

Roy follows her across the lobby and steps into the elevator with Laurel.

"So where's your friend?"

"He'll be here," she says calmly, and presses the bottom to the top floor.

When they get out of the elevator he follows Laurel down a hall and into a stairwell.

"Come on," she calls out, climbing up the stairs and pushing open a heavy door at the top.

Roy follows Laurel out the door and onto the roof. He shivers in the cool wind and turns to her in confusion.

"You trying to kill me or something?"

"Excuse me?" she says with an amused smile.

"Why are we on the roof?"

She grins. "He likes to make an entrance."

There's a zinging sound followed by the crunch of gravel. Roy turns around and gasps in shock, stumbling back into Laurel.

"It's okay," she whispers. "He won't hurt you."

The man in front of Roy rises from a crouch and walks slowly across the roof toward him. He's huge, easily clearing six feet and obviously all muscle, highlighted by the leather suit he wears.

He stops a few feet away from Roy, his face obscured by his hood and a dark mask.

"Holy shit," Roy breathes. It's _him_.

It's the vigilante.


	9. Chapter 9

Roy stares at the man in front of him and whirls around to face Laurel.

"You-you-you're _friends_ with him?"

She raises an eyebrow. "You're surprised?"

"You're a _lawyer_."

"We're trusting you to keep this a secret, Roy," the vigilante growls.

Roy startles at the gravely sound of his voice, like it's been put though a modulator.

"Yeah," he says shakily. "I can do that."

"Good," the vigilante says brusquely. "Then we can talk."

"Okay," Roy says, trying not to pass out.

This is _so freaking cool_.

"What do you know about Vertigo, Roy?"

Roy shrugs. "It's a new club drug. Hit the Glades about a month ago. Spread through the clubs till it hit the mainstream. Starling General's been getting a ton of overdoses."

"Do you know how it's being distributed?"

Roy frowns. "I could look into it. I know some guys."

The vigilante nods. "You do that."

"Alright."

"If you find anything out call Laurel and she'll set up a meeting."

"Cool," Roy grins. "It's like I'm in a secret club."

"This is not a club," the guy says sternly. "This is dangerous. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, whatever. This is _so_ cool."

Laurel laughs. "I told you he was just a kid."

"If he wants in we let him in," the vigilante replies. "I need a contact in the Glades."

"I know everyone in the Glades," Roy says helpfully.

Laurel sighs heavily. "I'm not taking responsibility for this."

"You recruited him."

"I didn't recruit him. I did you a favor. I didn't know you'd want him to work for you."

"He's old enough to make his own decisions."

"I want in," Roy says quickly.

The vigilante pulls out his bow. "Good. I look forward to meeting you again soon."

"Hey," Roy calls out. "Why me?"

The man grins and pulls back the string of his bow. "I've had my eye on you for awhile, Roy Harper."

And then he's gone.

xxx

Roy is supposed to meet Thea at the loft after school but halfway there she gets a text from her dealer.

Thea stops on the sidewalk, staring down at her phone.

_Got some new product in, you need a hook up?_

She bites her lip and checks the time on her phone-3:40. She's supposed to be back at the loft by four to let Roy in.

 _Fountain in ten_ she texts back, and heads west to the plaza.

She sits down on a bench and impatiently waits for _twenty fucking minutes_ before a guy sinks down next to her.

"Queen."

"You're late."

"You have unrealistic expectations," he says, slipping his hand over hers.

A quick trade with nimble fingers, a baggie of pills for two fifties, and Thea sashays away, hand slipping into her bag.

Her phones rings and she swears when she sees its four-oh-two pm.

"Hi Roy!" she says brightly. "Sorry, I know I'm late, I forgot my trig book at school and had to double back to get it."

"Okay," he says evenly. "You gonna be here soon?"

"Yeah," she says breathlessly, speeding up. "I'm five blocks away." Okay, more like twelve, but whatever. Ollie doesn't call her Speedy for nothing.

"You want me to come meet you?"

"No, I'll be there in a few minutes, I'm almost there."

"Okay," he says, and she can't help but feel a tingle at his sound of his voice. "See you soon."

xxx

When Roy hears the ding of the elevator he turns to look for Thea but instead of a teenage girl the person walking out of the elevator is a man.

He's middle aged, with thick dark hair and a crisp suit. Roy watches him out of the corner of his eye as the man slowly approaches him.

"Excuse me," the man calls out. "Is Thea home?"

Roy shakes his head. "No, sorry man."

The guy raises an eyebrow. "Do you know when she'll be back?"

Roy can't explain it, but the way this man looks at him sets off alarm bells in his head.

"Nah," he lies. "No idea. I was just swinging by."

The man nods and gives Roy a smile that turns his stomach to ice.

"Well when you see her, please let my daughter know that her father is looking for her."

The man turns around and gets back into the elevator while Roy stares after him.

Her father?

Thea shows up seven minutes later, looking like sin incarnate in that little plaid skirt and black eyeliner.

"Hey you," she says cheerfully, and kisses him smack on the mouth. "Sorry I'm late."

"That's okay," he says, a little dazed by the way her lips are soft and taste like a sugar cookie, and those long bare legs.

Thea unlocks the door by placing her fingertip on an aluminum strip embedded into the frame.

"Nice," Roy says appreciatively. "Oliver doesn't fuck around, does he?"

Thea sighs deeply, slinging her book bag off her shoulder and onto the kitchen counter. "Oliver's an overprotective psycho. He has _no_ chill."

Roy laughs, fingering the spot on his cheek where Oliver punched him last week. Thea's right.

Oliver's more like the opposite of chill.

"Must be nice though," he says, "having someone who cares about you so much."

"Yeah," she says, only a little hesitant. "I know I complain about him a lot, but he's the only thing I've got. I wouldn't be able to do anything without Oliver."

"Hey Thea?"

"Yeah?" she asks, going to the fridge. "You want water or juice or anything?"

"Thea, something happened before you got here."

Thea shuts the fridge and turns around. "Oh," she says inquisitively. "You okay?"

"Yeah," he says nervously, "it's just that this guy showed up. Said he was looking for you."

Thea frowns. "What guy? Chase?"

"No," Roy frowns. "That's the crazy thing. He said- Thea, he said he was your father."

Thea goes very pale and her fingers clutch the countertop.

"He said what? Be specific, what exactly did he say?"

"He said to tell his daughter her father was looking for her."

Thea squeaks and her hand flies to her mouth. "Okay," she says shakily. "Um, okay, just hold on a second."

She opens her bag and pulls her phone out. Thea scrolls through something for a minute and holds the phone out to him.

"Is this him?"

Roy checks out the photo. Same dark hair, same cold eyes, same smirk.

"Yeah," he says. "That's him."

"Oh my god."

"Thea, what's going on?"

"Oh god, I have to call Ollie," Thea says hysterically.

Roy hands her back her phone and Thea taps it and holds the phone up to her ear.

"Hi, it's Thea. I need to talk to Oliver, it's an emergency."

Thea must not like whatever is the other person says because she snaps. "I don't give a shit if he's talking to the president of China, just put me through...Isabel, if you don't transfer me right now I'll tell Oliver what you said about his EA last week."

Thea smirks and covers the mouthpiece with her hand. "His secretary is _such_ a bitch."

Thea turns sideways, one hand on her hip. "Hey Ollie...no I'm okay, but something happened. Roy came over to the loft after school...well you said I could hang out with him...dammit Ollie just listen to me! Roy beat me here...I forgot my trig book, I had to go back and get it...Ollie please!"

Thea presses the palm of her hand against her forehead. She looks close to tears. "Roy was here and he was waiting in the hallway and...and..."

She suddenly holds the phone out to Roy and turns her face into the crook of her elbow.

"Hey," Roy says awkwardly, taking the phone from her and pressing it to his ear.

"What the hell is going on?" Oliver snaps.

"Thea's crying," Roy says, reaching for her with his free hand and pulling her to his chest.

" _What happened?_ "

"Some guy showed up at the loft before she got home from school. Said he was her father."

" _That son of a bitch!_ " Oliver explodes.

"I thought your dad was dead."

"Hey Roy, hang on one second," Oliver says and then says something in Chinese.

"Sorry," Oliver says. "I'm on a conference call with Beijing. Look, I'm coming home."

Roy looks down at Thea, who's got her face pressed into his neck. "I think that's a good idea."

"Stay at the loft, I'll be there in twenty minutes."

"Okay."

"There's a Beretta behind the cereal boxes in the cabinet," Oliver says. "It's loaded."

"Um...why would I need that?" Is he _serious_? A gun?

"Just in case," Oliver says tightly. "I'm sure this goes without saying, but don't answer the door."

"Hey, who is this guy, anyway?" Roy questions.

There's a very long pause, and then Oliver sighs heavily. "He's Thea's biological father."

" _What_?"

"My mother had an affair. Thea didn't find out until after she died. As you can imagine, it's been very upsetting."

"But I thought you were her guardian."

"I am. He doesn't have custody of her. In fact, according to you, he just violated a restraining order."

"A _what_?"

"Look, just take care of Thea until I get there, okay?"

"Yeah, okay."

Oliver hangs up and Roy looks down at Thea, who has her cheek pressed into the collar of his sweatshirt.

"Thea?"

"Yeah?" she sniffs.

"I think you better tell me what the hell is going on."


	10. Chapter 10

Thea and Roy wait for Oliver in the living room. She's shivering, curled up in a ball on the couch.

She wants a pill. She wants a pill so badly.

"Hey," Roy says, slinging an arm around her. "Come here."

She lets him pull her to him, snuggles her cheek against the soft material of his sweatshirt, and the want starts to dissolve. She takes a deep breath and focuses on Roy, the warmth of his skin, how safe she feels when he's with her.

"You okay?" Roy murmurs.

She shakes her head.

Roy sighs, one hand coming up to stroke her hair. "So what's the deal with him? Your dad."

She swallows dryly. "I didn't know he was my father until after my mother died. It came up in the will reading. She was, um...very specific that Ollie got me and not Malcom."

"Malcom?"

"That's his name. Malcom Merlyn."

Merlyn..."Like Tommy Merlyn?"

"Yeah. Tommy was my half-brother. We didn't know, obviously, and by the time I found out, it was too late. Tommy was already dead."

"Bet Oliver freaked out, huh?"

She snorts. "He already knew. Lying bastard."

"And he didn't tell you?"

"Apparently my mother made him promise not to."

"Why?"

She shrugs. "She didn't want it getting out that she cheated on my dad I guess. I don't know. I guess she thought I'd never find out."

"Sounds rough."

"Yeah-"

"Thea!"

Her brother bursts through the door with wild eyes.

"I'm okay," she says, but he still yanks her off the couch to crush her to his chest.

"Are you sure?" he asks worriedly.

"I'm fine, Ollie. I didn't even see him."

He releases her and she sinks back down on the couch next to Roy.

"I can't believe him," Ollie growls, pacing back and forth in front of the couch. "When I catch him I'm going to _kill_ him."

" _Ollie_."

"I didn't hear anything," Roy says innocently.

"Diggle's downstairs getting a copy of the security tape from the lobby. If we can prove to Lance that Merlyn broke the restraining order he'll put a warrant out for him."

Thea slumps forward and rests her head in her palms. "I can't believe this is happening."

Oliver pauses his frantic pacing to kiss the top of her head. "We'll catch him."

"Um," Roy says. "So this Malcom guy is a pretty bad dude?"

"That's one way of putting it," she mutters.

"You're getting a bodyguard," Oliver says.

" _What_? Ollie, come on."

"He's _here_. He knows where we _live_ -"

"Ollie-"

"I'm not debating this with you, Thea."

"You're being paranoid."

"He's dangerous, Thea."

"Hey," Roy pipes up. "Why does she need a bodyguard?"

Oliver glances between Roy and Thea. "Did you tell him yet?"

"Just that Malcolm's my father."

Her brother runs a hand over his face. "Maybe we should tell him."

She looks at him in astonishment. "You _want_ to tell him?"

Oliver pierces her with a look. "Malcolm _saw_ him."

"Uh, is that bad?" Roy interjects.

"It's not good," Oliver mutters.

"Okay," she says. "If you want to tell him, go for it."

"Fine," he says curtly, and turns to Roy.

"Malcolm showed up in Starling City a week after our mother died. He waited until I left for work and came to the house for Thea."

"He said he just wanted to talk," she says sullenly.

She knows Ollie will never get over this, that the devil came to their house and she went with him willingly.

"When I came home Thea was gone," Ollie continues. "It took me four months to find her."

Roy stares at her. "Where were you?"

"Corto Maltese," she says quietly, watching the muscle in Ollie's jaw twitch.

"Where the fuck is that?" Roy asks, looking bewildered.

Thea shivers. "It doesn't matter. I went straight off the plane and to the house. I could've been anywhere. He wouldn't let me leave the house. He had a lot of staff to make sure I couldn't."

"So he kidnapped you," Roy says bluntly.

"I went with him," she says quietly. "I didn't know he wouldn't let me go home."

"He took a minor out of the country without permission from her guardian. He broke the law," Oliver says gruffly.

Roy's hand slips into hers and he squeezes. "So how did you get back?"

Thea smiles wanly. "Ollie found me."

Roy gives Oliver a look of surprised admiration. "For real?"

"Mr. Diggle's wife works for a military contractor. She did a favor for me."

"Wow," Roy says. "That's...okay. When was this?"

"Last summer," she tells him.

"So why would he come back?" Roy questions. "It's been like nine months."

"Because he's crazy," she says tiredly. "Remember Tommy, his son that died? Malcom had this idea that he could replace him with me and we'd be a family. He's got this obsession with our bloodline, it's really weird."

Oliver looks sickened. "You never told me that."

She stares down at her hands.

"So that's why he's here," Roy surmises. "He wants his family back."

"Thea's not his family," Ollie says sharply. "This is why you're getting a bodyguard."

"Okay." Thea flings up her hands. "Fine, you can get me a bodyguard. But not in school, okay? That's just embarrassing."

"We'll see," Oliver says ominously.

"Can you get me someone cool?" she asks. "If I'm going to be stuck with a stranger all the time."

"Uh-huh," he says, but he's staring off at the wall with a look on his face that worries her.

"Ollie?"

His gaze drifts to Roy, his red hoodie and scraped up knuckles.

"Why are you looking at him like that?" Thea snaps. "Don't look at him like that."

"I'm just thinking," Oliver says lightly.

"Oh no," she says. "Don't even go there."

"Why not?" he questions. "It's an interesting idea."

"Ollie!"

"What?" he says innocently. "We should at least talk about it."

"Are you serious?"

"He's got the skill set," Oliver comments. "And there's your cool factor."

"Oh my god," she says in disbelief. "You're being totally serious."

"Um, are you guys talking about me?" Roy questions.

"I know I can trust him," Oliver says. "That saves me days of running background checks before I find someone I trust."

She glares at him. "How many times to do I have to tell you not to run background checks on my boyfriends?"

Roy grins at her. "I'm your boyfriend?"

She rolls her eyes at him. "That's what you took away from that sentence?"

"Hey Roy," Oliver says. "How would you feel about working for me for a thousand dollars a week?"

Roy's mouth drops open. "Do I have to kill anyone?"

Oliver chuckles. "No."

"A thousand dollars."

"Mm-hmm," Oliver says, looking extremely pleased with himself.

"Hell yeah!" Roy exclaims. "Are you kidding me?"

Her brother holds out his hand and shakes her boyfriend's hand. "Congratulations, you're now my newest employee."

Roy turns to Thea. "What just happened?"

Oh screw it. Thea smiles. If she's going to be stuck with someone all day it's pretty awesome that that someone is Roy.

"You're my new bodyguard," she explains.

Roy shakes his head. "Man, I am having a crazy week."

xxx

After Roy and Oliver shake on it Thea escapes upstairs to 'shower the idea of Malcolm' off her.

As soon as she's gone Oliver turns to Roy.

"Look," he says, "how would you feel about staying here for awhile?"

Roy blinks at him. "Stay-here?"

"Yeah," Oliver says. "It's not like we don't have a ton of bedrooms. Would you be okay with that?"

"Are you okay with it?"

"I don't think I'm ever going to be thrilled about my sister having a boyfriend," Oliver says wryly. "But would I feel better knowing Thea won't be here alone? Yeah, I would."

"Okay," Roy says. "Yeah, okay."

"Good," Oliver replies. "My driver will take you to your apartment to get anything you need."

"Tonight?" Roy says stupidly.

"Yeah," Oliver says impatiently. "I have to go out later, I'd like you to be here with Thea."

Roy narrows his eyes at Oliver. "Where do you have to go?"

Oliver gives Roy a smile that looks like a trap. "Don't worry about it."

Oliver's driver takes him back to his apartment in the Range Rover and parks at the curb.

"I'll be right here," he assures Roy, who cannot get used to the idea of having a driver and therefore doesn't know how to reply except to mutter an embarrassed thank you.

In his apartment he finds a duffle bag and stuffs some clothes in it. He doesn't have much stuff apart from that so packing only takes a few minutes. He unplugs everything and is locking up when Felicity pops out of her apartment.

"Hey," she says cheerfully, "where are you going?"

"Um...you know that girlfriend-"

"Wait wait wait," Felicity says. "Now she's your girlfriend?"

Roy rolls his eyes. "Yeah, she's my girlfriend."

Felicity squeals. "That's amazing!"

"Whatever, anyway, I'm gonna stay with her for awhile."

Felicity raises an eyebrow. "Must be serious."

He really doesn't know how to answer that so he settles for a shrug.

"You're not like...moving are you?" Felicity asks.

Roy grins. "Don't worry, I wouldn't leave you here. I'm just gonna crash at her place for awhile."

Felicity smiles. "Enjoy the high life."

"Yeah."

"Okay," she says, ruffling his hair. "Don't forget about where you come from when you're rolling around with the millionaires in your expensive suits."

Roy smirks at her. "Like I would ever wear a suit."


	11. Chapter 11

Roy wakes up on his first night in one of the three guest rooms in the loft to Thea sneaking in, the light from the hall spilling through the doorway.

She's in a little blue camisole and tiny grey boxer shorts. Her hair is pulled back and the light goes out as she shuts the door behind her.

"Hey," he says groggily. "What's wrong?"

"Couldn't sleep," she whispers. "Can I get in with you?"

"Why can't you sleep?"

Thea shrugs, tip-toeing to the side of the bed. "Ollie's not home yet."

"What time is it?"

"Almost three."

Three in the morning? Where the hell would a CEO of a company go to at three in the morning when he has work in six hours?

"Roy," she whispers, her hand playing with the edge of the soft grey duvet cover. "Please."

"Yeah," he hears himself say. "Sure."

She climbs into his bed and sits cross-legged on the mattress next to him. He grips the sheets, trying not to look at her exposed thighs.

Jesus Christ, is the universe trying to test all the limits of his self control? It's taking everything her has not to flip her on her back and slam him mouth against her.

But Thea's not that kind of girl.

She's fragile and exquisite, like a rare bird or a beautiful flower that only grows under specific conditions.

He's terrified of breaking her.

"You okay?" he asks.

She frowns and a crease appears between her eyebrows. "I'm not happy Ollie's still out. I don't like being here alone."

He grins and grabs her hand loosely. "You're not alone."

She gives him a cheeky smile. "No, I'm not."

She leans into him and it's just so easy, to catch her mouth in a kiss that has her melting into him.

She grips his shoulders and suddenly she's in his lap. Roy groans, thankful for the blanket that's separating his boxer briefs from the thin cottony of her little shorts.

"Shouldn't we like...talk?" he sighs, leaning down to kiss her neck.

"I don't feel like talking."

"Thea-"

"We can talk later," she says, and grinds her hips purposefully.

"Hey, okay," he says, hands going down to her hips to hold them in place.

"What?" she says impatiently. "I have therapy in four hours, I can talk all about my evil daddy and my workaholic brother and how my boyfriend is now my bodyguard."

"You should really get some sleep then, if you have to get up in four hours."

Thea pouts at him. "Why? I wanna hang out."

"You need sleep more."

"Roy," she whines.

"You want me to treat you like a kid?" Roy asks. "Give you everything you want?"

Thea bites her lip. "No. I don't know."

He cocks an eyebrow at her. "Maybe you're a just a spoiled little girl."

She leans forward, lips brushing his. "I'm used to getting what I want."

He picks her up and hauls her off his lap. "Your tricks aren't going to work on me, princess."

She flutters her lashes at him. "Can I sleep in here?"

"Hell no. I'm not getting punched by Oliver again."

Thea winces and he suddenly feels like an asshole for bringing it up.

"Come on," he says, holding out his hand. "I'll lay down with you in your room until you fall asleep."

Thea freezes, her hand halfway to his. "Really?"

He kisses the top of her head. "Sure. I don't mind."

She curls into him, fitting her head beneath his chin and looping her arms around her.

"I've never met someone like you before," she whispers.

"What do you mean?"

Thea presses her cheek into his shoulder. "You're all tough looking on the outside. But on the inside you're nicer than anyone I know."

"I think you're nice too."

Thea smiles. "I'm really happy you're here."

Roy grins. "Me too."

xxx

When Thea comes down at 6:40 in the morning Oliver's waiting for her in the living room, dressed in an impeccable navy Armani suit.

"Here," he says in a gravely voice, handing her on of two cardboard cups of coffee in his hands.

"Thanks," she says suspiciously. Ollie looks really pale and honestly kind of sick. "Are you okay?"

"Just tired," he mutters. "Come on, let's go, we're going to be late. Again."

"You don't have to drive me," she says, picking up her Kate Spade book bag. "Roy or Mr. Diggle could do it."

"Don't be an idiot."

"Did you even sleep last night?"

"I've got a lot on my mind."

"Sorry," she murmurs.

"Don't," he says slipping her hand into his. "Don't ever apologize. Not for him."

xxx

She spends the first half of school in a daze, unable to forget what happened the day before.

Malcolm, in her home. Malcolm, giving messages to her boyfriend.

Which of course only triggers more memories. Malcolm forcing her hand on a hot stove, his face covered in a draped black hood, Malcolm notching an arrow in a front of a crying girl.

"Hey," Sara whispers in English, leaning towards her desk. "What's wrong?"

Thea puts her hand up in the air. "I have to go to the bathroom."

The bathroom is blessedly empty and she sits in the floor with her head on her knees, thinking of blood on a marble floor, water splashing over the rim of a bowl.

The leather of her bag sticks to her sweaty palm, and she's about to go back to class when she remembers what happened yesterday, before Malcolm showed up and ruined everything.

Remembers the little bag of pills zipped into the inside pocket of her bag.

One eye on the door, she slips her hand inside her bag and unzips the pocket. Dips her fingers in and opens the little plastic baggie, retrieves one small white pill.

Swallows it dry before she has a chance to change her mind.

It comes on in the middle of history and she almost falls asleep at her desk, caught up in a wave of calm so deep she can barely keep her eyes open.

When class is over Sara grabs her by the elbow and hauls her into the bathroom.

"Ow," she complains, rubbing her arm. "What's your problem?"

"You're fucking _high_ ," Sara hisses. "At _school_."

"No I'm not."

"You're lying to me." Sara's eyes are full of tears but she just doesn't have the energy to care.

"You're the one who gave me Vertigo. Don't you think you're being a hypocrite?" Thea asks coolly.

Sara stumbles back, her face flushing. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Forget it."

"God," Sara says angrily. "You never talk to me anymore! Ever since you went on vacation last summer and came back at weird and quiet."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Thea says sharply.

"I know something happened," Sara presses. "There has to be a reason why you're acting like such a _freak_ -"

 _Crack_.

Sara's head tips back as Thea's hand whips across her cheek.

Sara shrieks and Thea gasps in horror, pulling her hand back.

Sara stares at her with wide, betrayed eyes. "You _hit_ me!"

"Sara, I'm so sorry-"

"You hit me! I can't believe you hit me-"

"Sara, please-"

"I have to go." Sara's voice breaks on a sob and she flees the bathroom.

Thea stares at herself in the mirror, wondering when she started hating herself.

xxx

Roy's parked in the carpool lane outside Thea's school (yes, the _carpool_ lane, because his job is actually a lot closer to babysitter than bodyguard) when he sees Sara push through the huge front doors of the building and fly down the steps.

Her blond hair streams behind her in a golden wave but it's her face Roy notices, tomato red and wet with tears.

He rolls down the window and leans his head out. "Hey," he yells. "You okay?"

Sara stumbles towards the Bentley (yes, a fucking _Bentley_. Oliver had left the keys on the kitchen counter for him next to a stern note telling him he better be a _safe fucking driver_ and if the Bentley came home with a scratch on it Oliver would take the cost out of his paycheck.)

Roy had gotten stuck on the word _paycheck_ , thinking of what he could do with a legit, on the books job-daydreams of a full fridge, money to help Felicity with her student loans, shoes that actually fit right, _health insurance_.

He leans over and opens the passenger door for her. Sara slides in, her hair falling like a curtain over her face.

"Hey," she mumbles, curling her legs up under her. "What're you doing here?"

"Picking Thea up."

"Sweet gig," she says dryly. "Wish my parents would pay for a boy toy."

"You alright?"

Sara sniffs, rubbing at the skin under her eyes. "We got in a fight."

"You and Thea?"

"Yeah."

"You wanna talk about it?"

Sara looks at him uncertainly. "Does Thea seem different to you?"

He shrugs. "I haven't known her that long, I don't know what you mean by different."

Sara sighs and picks at a cuticle. "Last year-before her mom died-we'd party sometimes but it wasn't...it wasn't bad. I knew...I knew she'd had a hard time with Ollie and everything, but things were okay. And then her mom died, and she went on vacation for like, _four months_ , and when she came back things weren't like they were before."

 __Went on vacation. Holy shit, Sara doesn't know about Thea's dad.

"Her mom died," he says cautiously. "That's gotta be rough."

"It's not just that. We used to be best friends. Ollie and Laurel used to date when they were in high school, so our families were together all the time. She used to talk to me, you know?"

Laurel? Like Laurel Lance? Roy suddenly realizes he doesn't know Sara's last name, but he can see it, the blond hair, the spunky attitude.

"So you're worried about her," he surmises.

Sara reaches up at presses her fingertips lightly to her cheek. "She hit me."

"She _what_?"

"We got in an argument, and she just _slapped_ me."

"That doesn't sound like Thea."

"I know," Sara says grimly.

"What were you guys fighting about, anyway?"

She shifts uncomfortably in her seat. "I, um...she was acting weird and I called her on it, and she got really mad."

"Weird how?" he asks, thinking of how upset Thea got yesterday, how she'd sobbed in his arms while waiting for Oliver to come home.

Sara bites her lip. "I don't know-"

"Sara."

"She seemed high, alright?"

He suddenly feels sick. "High? Are you sure?"

"She said she wasn't but of course she'd say that! I know her, I know when she's fucked up."

"Shit," he swears. "That's not good."

"I know," Sara says thickly. "I should go, she'll probably be out in a few minutes."

"Okay."

"Do you think you could...I don't know, just keep an eye on her, okay?"

"Sure," Roy says evenly. "But I need you to do something for me too."

Sara frowns. "What?"

Roy crosses his arms around his chest. "I need to know where you got the Vertigo, Sara."


	12. Chapter 12

Roy finds Thea in her room around seven.

She's sitting curled up on her bed, a notebook in her lap but she's staring at the ceiling, looking glazed over.

"Hey," he says, knocking on the doorframe. "I was thinking about ordering a pizza, you in?"

"Whatever." She doesn't even look at him.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He sits on the edge of her bed but she shifts out of reach.

"Nothing, it's stupid."

"Thea, come on."

"Ollie said he would take me to dinner tonight but-" she holds up her phone. "He had a work emergency."

"Happens a lot, huh?"

"Yeah," she murmurs sadly.

"That sucks."

She shrugs, trying to act casual. "He works really hard. It's what my parents wanted. Live up to the family name and everything."

"Doesn't mean it doesn't suck for you," he points out.

She gives him a thin smile. "I'm down for pizza."

"Or we could go out," he suggests, wanting to see her smile for real. "I got a good job now. I can treat my girl to something nice."

To his delight Thea gets on her knees and crawls to him. "Is that so?" she asks lightly, her hands on his chest.

"Yes, ma'm."

"Good. I want sushi."

"Um..."

"Roy." Thea stares at him. "Tell me you've had sushi before."

"Anyplace that sells fish in the Glades is probably not for consumption."

"Oh my god. I can't wait. You'll love it."

"Ugh, I don't know…"

"Roy. We're going to sushi, and you're going to love it."

"That so?" He raises a challenging eyebrow and Thea sets her jaw.

"Yes, Mr. Harper, I do say so."

"Well then, " he says softly, moving his lips to her throat. "What the princess wants, the princess gets."

Thea grins. "I'm glad we understand each other."

/

Thea orders soup, edamame, and a bunch of rolls with weird names that she promises are incredible.

He plays with his chopsticks, unable to shake his earlier conversation with Sara. How does he bring it up with Thea without ratting Sara out, or pissing Thea off?

If she were someone else he'd just ask her point blank. But it's Thea, and the girl has an uncanny ability to lie, to twist her words into something that sounds real.

Why didn't Felicity warn him how complicated girls could be?

"So," Roy says eventually over miso soup, which looks gross but is actually really good, "have I told you what happened to my parents yet?"

Okay, so he's not lecturing, not exactly. But a warning won't kill her.

And if he knows anything, it's that if someone doesn't give Thea a warning soon, she's going off the deep end.

An orphan with more money than she can spend, and some creepy dude stalking her or whatever it is that Malcolm's doing? That's a recipe for disaster.

Thea's eyes widen. "Uh-oh," she says nervously. "We're having that talk?"

"Don't you want to know more about your boyfriend?" he teases her.

"Yeah," she says eagerly. "But..."

"Yeah?"

"I don't have to reciprocate, do I?"

Roy laughs. "Not if you don't want to."

"I don't want to," she says quickly.

"Anyone ever tell you you're mysterious?"

She gives him a coy smile. "It's part of my charm."

"That and your excellent taste in food. This is awesome."

"Told you," she says grinning. "So come on, lay it on me. Give me your sob story."

"Got tissues?" he mocks and she holds up a napkin.

"My parents were addicts," he says, watching the way Thea's head snaps up. "My dad died when I was four. Liver failed."

"I'm sorry," she says quietly. "And your mom?"

"Haven't seen her in almost...six years, I think. After my dad died she just kind of fell apart. Blew everything she had on drugs. Couldn't hold down a job or pay the rent. It was bad."

Thea looks stricken. "You haven't seen her since you were thirteen?"

"Nah. She wasn't really a good mom, anyway. It's okay."

Thea frowns. "That sounds really hard."

He shrugs. "Well, she was an addict. She was unreliable, and unpredictable and honestly shouldn't have had a kid. Too much responsibility."

"Do you miss her?"

"Um...yeah, I don't know. Maybe. It's really hard to be in a relationship with somebody like that, though. Sometimes it's just not worth it."

He says it carefully, just neutral enough so it doesn't sound harsh, but firm enough so she knows he's serious.

"But..." Thea rubs her forehead. "How did you pay for stuff? How come you're not homeless?"

"Cus I made friends." He gives her a twisted smile. "Guys on the street took care of me."

"And what did you do for them?"

"A little of this, a little of that."

"Now who's being mysterious?"

"I learned how to be useful."

She leans back in her chair. "You know that's how Ollie sees you, right? As someone he can use."

Roy finds her foot under the table. "Maybe I'm using him too."

/

Thea carefully packs her bag that night before school.

History book, geometry book, calculator, tablet, and three notebooks. Makeup bag, extra hair ties, money for lunch. Everything she needs.

The small plastic bag of pills sits in her palm.

What if Sara tells? What if she goes to school the next morning only for a locker search, the contents of her bag spilled out on the principle's desk?

If Ollie freaked out about the Vertigo she knows for damn sure he'll be apoplectic if she gets caught at school for drugs.

Thea sits there, pills in her hand, and wonders when her brother became the only thing stopping her from total self-destruction.

Probably sometime between seeing her mother's dead body spread out on the concrete sidewalk in the Glades and Malcolm forcing a bow into her hand, pulling the string back-

No.

She doesn't think about that. She won't think about that.

It's her secret. It's the wall between her and her brother, the ghost squatting on her chest when she wakes in the night, the reason she swallows pills mindlessly.

Because she's a bad, bad girl. Blood on her hands, evil in her veins.

She and Ollie haven't even talked about it. That his father isn't her father, that she's not even a real Queen, just some half-sister he got stuck with.

Because he's the only person she's ever had, the only one she could count on.

The one that saved her in Corto Maltese, the one who charged into the house first, with a SWAT team behind him, to save her from Malcolm.

Even when he was on the island she didn't give up hope that he was out there somewhere, trying to come home to her. A young Odysseus, fighting monsters and slaying dragons.

While she swallowed pills in her tower, collected her tears for her brother like pearls.

If he knew who she was now, knew what Malcolm made her do, would he even want her anymore? Be able to look in her the eye?

Would he even love her anymore?

Thea shivers, and takes the pills to the bathroom. She finds an empty makeup bag and stashes them inside, stuffing some tissue in just for good measure before shoving the bag in a drawer and out of site.

She changes into boxers and an old tee shirt, contemplating as she pulls the covers back on her bed, switches off the light.

She can still fix it. She'll apologize to Sara in homeroom tomorrow, she'll explain-

Okay. She'll make something up. Whatever. She'll figure out something to tell Sara.

She won't take the pills to school. She can't risk it.

She thinks about Roy down the hall, wondering about his parents.

How willingly he told her his story, showed her his scars, opened himself up for judgment.

Wonders if he knows more than he said, what those clear blue eyes see when he looks at her.

Wonders how he can look at her and not see it, how she's barely holding on.

Or if he does, if he knows the chemicals that sing through her veins, knows that her heart is fractured and scarred, barely beating.

Wonders at the depth of pain an orphan boy from the Glades could hold in his strong hands before he lets go.


	13. Chapter 13

Oliver doesn't come home until one in the morning.

Roy knows this because he waits up after Thea goes to bed, sitting in the den listening for the sound of the front door.

When Oliver finally comes in Roy turns off the movie he's watching and goes out to the living room.

Oliver's shucking off a sweatshirt with a groan, one hand clutching his ribs.

"Hey man," Roy says quietly. "You okay?"

"Hey. You're up late."

"You're coming in late."

Oliver shrugs. "I had a busy night."

"You hurt?"

"What?"

"Your ribs."

"Oh." Oliver glances down and removes his hand from his side, like it was there without his permission. "No, I'm alright."

"Can I talk to you for a second then?"

"It's late."

"Just for a minute."

Oliver rubs his eyes. "Yeah, what's up? Everything okay with Thea?"

"Look," Roy says pensively. "Did you hire me just to babysit her? Keep her from doing something stupid?"

"Excuse me?"

"I really think she's got some issues-"

"I'm well aware of her issues," Oliver snaps.

Roy raises an eyebrow at him. "Really?"

"Yes, _really_. Just because I'm not here all the time doesn't mean I don't know what's going on with my sister."

"Are you aware she got high at school today?"

Oliver winces and rubs his hand over the back of his neck. "What?"

"Your sister's on drugs, dude."

"I know she...has a problem," he says haltingly.

"It's more than a problem," Roy presses. "I can't even tell when she's fucked up sometimes. She's only seventeen."

Oliver flinches. "I know she's having a hard time right now-"

"A hard time right now? She's fucking drowning, and you're never even here!"

Oliver sets his jaw. "Alright," he says tightly. "What do you want me to do about it?"

Roy stares. "She's _your_ sister!"

"I'm aware of that. I also have to run a fucking Fortune 500 company, and then-"

"What? What else do you have that's more important than Thea?"

"I have a lot on my plate, okay? Why do you think you're here?"

"I have no idea, to be honest."

"We'll let me make it clear, Roy. There is a psychotic man out there who wants to kidnap my sister. I would prefer it if that didn't happen."

"Fine okay. Got it."

"And I don't trust her here alone," Oliver says. "Not after the whole..."

"Vertigo incident?"

"I can't leave Dig with her all the time, he has a family."

"So you hired me because I have no life?"

Oliver arches an eyebrow. "Are you complaining?"

Roy shakes his head quickly, thinking about Thea in those boxer shorts and a thousand dollars a week. "Nope."

xxx

Thea shows up in homeroom with a big latte with Sara's name on it.

"An apology latte?" Sara says with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm sorry," Thea whispers, her eyes filling with tears. "I feel horrible, Sara, I'm so sorry-"

"Oh god, don't cry," Sara says, slinging an arm around her. "I can't do tears yet, it's not even nine."

Thea lets out a watery laugh and rests her head on Sara's shoulder. "So you're not mad."

"I didn't say that. But do I want to watch you grovel all day? Hell yeah."

Thea giggles. "I can grovel."

"You better grovel bitch. Or I'm never going into a bathroom with you again."

"But what would we do at parties?"

"Exactly."

"I really am sorry."

"I know," Sara says. "Where'd you learn to hit like that anyway? Damn."

Thea falters. "Um...Ollie."

"Oh, duh," Sara says, rolling her eyes and laughing. "Who else?"

xxx

Knowing Sara's forgiven her makes the knot in Thea's chest dissolve. They've never fought before, not like this.

It's one thing to fight with Ollie. Its just part of how they communicate.

But she and Sara always get along well, ever since Laurel and Ollie started dating and they got stuck playing together at Ollie's sweet sixteen weekend (yes, weekend) in Cabo when they were six.

She walks around in a good mood all day, happy to have her best friend back. They trade lip gloss and pass notes and she feels like everything will be okay.

Ollie and Detective Lance will catch Malcolm, and everything will be okay.

They're walking to the cafeteria when Thea sees a man come out of the office, flanked by a security officer and the principal. He's tall, in an expensive suit and seems totally nonplussed that he's being frog-marched out of the school.

Thea freezes, rooted to the spot.

"Ow," Sara mumbles, slamming into her. "What the-whoa, is that _Tommy's_ dad?"

Thea nods, her body numb, as she watches Malcolm be escorted out the front doors.

"That's so weird," Sara says. "I wonder what he's doing here?"

"No idea."

All of a sudden Malcolm turns in the doorway, like he knows they're watching him, and winks.

Sara shudders and presses closer to her. "He's so creepy, don't you think? I don't like the way he looks at us."

Thea reaches for Sara's hand and squeezes. "Yeah," she agrees, trying not to totally _freak the fuck out_. "Total creep vibe."

xxx

The name of the boy who sold Sara Vertigo gets passed to Sin on a McDonalds napkin.

"Huh," Sin says, squinting to read Roy's handwriting. "Never heard of him."

"Think you could look into it?" he asks. "I'll buy you more fries."

Sin rolls her eyes. "You owe me more than fries, and you know it."

"A milkshake."

She snorts. "Whatever. Look, it might take me a couple of days to find out anything. Why are you looking for this guy, anyway?"

"Uh, it's a favor."

"A favor?"

"Yeah, it's for a friend."

Sin smirks. "Since when do you have any friends?"

"I got a girlfriend," he brags.

"Bullshit."

"For real."

"I haven't seen you around with any girl."

"Cus she doesn't live in the Glades."

"Oh yeah, so where is she?"

"School," Roy says sheepishly.

Sin cracks up. "You got yourself a hot little schoolgirl, did ya? Good for you."

"She's got a hot friend."

Sin grins. "Do tell."

"Cute. Blond. Dirty mouth."

She winks at him. "Tell you what, you introduce me to her and I'll eat sleep and breathe this guy." She waves the napkin at him.

Roy grins. "Deal."

They're walking out when his phone rings and Roy frowns when he sees Thea's name on the screen.

"I thought your phone's supposed to be off when you're in school," he chides.

"Roy?"

"What's wrong?" he demands, because her voice in high and shaky, and she sounds like she's about to cry.

"I need you to come pick me up?"

"Right now?"

"Yeah. I'm in the office."

"Thea, what happened?"

"Ollie's coming too. Just, please, he's going to go back to the office when he's done."

"Thea-"

"I want to go home," she says, and then she is crying. "Please come pick me up so I can go home."

"Okay," he says gripping the keys to the Bentley. "Hang tight. I'm on my way."


	14. Chapter 14

Roy is stopped by a security guard three feet into the entrance hall of Thea's school.

"Your name sir?"

"Roy Harper."

The security guard goes behind a little desk and types something into his computer. "And your business here, Mr. Harper?"

Roy shifts his feet impatiently. "I'm picking up Thea Queen."

The guard passes a visitors badge to Roy and angles a sign-in sheet his way. "Sign here, please."

Roy's hand freezes halfway to the sheet. The last name of the log, written in long elegant letters, is Malcolm Merlyn.

Fuck.

"Where's the office?" Roy asks.

"Down the hall and around to the right."

Thea is sitting in a plastic chair in the office, looking very white.

Roy drops into a chair next to her. Thea just kind of crumples into him and his arms pull her close to his chest.

"You okay?" he murmurs.

Thea's fingernails dig into the sleeves of his sweatshirt.

"He was here," she whispers.

"I know." He wraps one hand around the back of her neck. Her skin is clammy. "Are you okay? You're freezing."

"Scared." Thea shivers and presses her forehead into his shoulder.

"Hey." He bends down and kisses the top of her head. "I'm not going to let him hurt you."

"You weren't here."

"Hmm. You know, I never finished high school."

Thea lifts her head off his chest and lets out a frightened sort of giggle. "You'd come to school with me?"

Roy cocks an eyebrow. "Depends. Do I have to wear the uniform?"

She plays with the fabric of his sweatshirt. "I can't really see you in a sweater vest."

Roy shudders in horror. "Hey, where's Oliver?"

"In there." Thea angles her head to indicate a door to an inner office. "He's been in there for fifteen minutes."

"Can we leave?"

"Mm, better wait. He looked homicidally pissed off."

"When doesn't Oliver look off pissed off?"

Thea tilts her head thoughtfully. "He smiles when he's with his EA."

"What's an EA?"

"Executive assistant. I had lunch at the office a few weeks ago and met her. It was weird, Ollie was like, smiling, and saying thank you, and she made some really lame computer joke and he laughed."

Roy grins. "Sounds like your brother has a crush."

Thea giggles. "Yeah, right."

The door to the smaller office bangs open. Oliver stalks out, looking like he walked right out of a GQ spread in a sharp black suit.

There's a small man stuttering apologies behind him. Oliver slices his hand through the air and the man falls silent.

"Let's go," Oliver snaps, and Roy and Thea both jump up like they've been shocked.

They follow Oliver out of the school, Thea's hand gripping Roy's.

"Take her home," Oliver says tightly to Roy.

"Where're you going?" Roy asks.

Oliver sets his jaw. "Out."

"Ollie," Thea whines, biting her lip.

"Go with Roy," he orders.

Thea hangs her head and Roy soothes his thumb over her knuckles. Oliver kisses Thea's forehead hurriedly and walks away, getting into the Porsche parked at the curb with its hazard lights flashing.

Roy watches Thea watch her brother drive away, tears clinging to her eyelashes.

"Come on." Roy tightens his grip on Thea's hand. "I'll drive you home."

xxx

_The mouth of a revolver kissing the back of her head._

_The tension in her right arm, pulling back the string of the bow._

_Do it already!_

_Red, red, everywhere..._

Thea jerks awake, struggling in Roy's arms.

"Hey, hey, you're okay," he says calmly. "You fell asleep."

"Oh." She relaxes against him and pushes her hair away from her face. "What time is it?"

"Almost six."

"You shouldn't have let me fall asleep."

"You were tired."

She rubs her eyes, shaking off the remnants of the nightmare.

"Thea," he says quietly. "I think you should tell me what's going on."

She extracts herself from his arms, shifts so she's not lying against him. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Roy's face gets hard. "How dumb do you think I am, huh?"

"I don't," she whispers. "I know you're not dumb."

"You think I don't know that you're lying?"

There's a beep of the door unlocking and Oliver walks in, a bag of Starling City Sushi tucked under his arm.

"I brought dinner," he announces.

Roy points a finger at her. "We are not finished here."

"Fine," she grumbles. "Let me eat first, _god_."

She and Roy follow the smell of food towards the kitchen, where Ollie's unpacking plastic containers.

"Where were you?" she asks him, getting plates out of the cabinet.

"Dealing with Lance. Then I had to run back to the office because I completely forgot I had a board meeting."

"Your EA must hate me."

"No." Oliver tugs gently on a curl. "She thinks you're cute."

"Of course I'm cute." Thea grins cheekily. "Roy, don't you think I'm cute?"

"No comment," Roy mutters, eyeing Oliver out of the corner of his eye.

"Roy, I want you to start going to school with Thea," Oliver says, when they're sitting at the table.

"Do I have to wear the uniform?"

Oliver laughs. "No. But you're there as my employee, so maybe not the hoodie."

Roy pouts and Thea suppresses a giggles.

"You okay?" Oliver asks Thea. "He didn't see you, right?"

"No." She shakes her head. "He never made it past the office."

"I don't get it," Roy says. "What did he think he was going to do, drag you out of school kicking and screaming in front of fifty witnesses?"

"No," Oliver answers. "Malcolm had no intention of trying to get her. He just wanted to show that he could. That he's watching us. He wanted to get under my skin."

Roy's fingers tap out a meandering staccato on the table. "Why would he want to do that?"

"Let's just say, things between me and Merlyn...well, it's personal," Oliver says. "Very personal."

"Yeah, I think I'm getting that," Roy deadpans.

"I'll pay you extra, of course," her brother says casually, dipping his salmon roll in soy sauce. "Since you'll basically be working round the clock."

"Yeah, okay," Roy says, and shoots Thea a smile that makes her melt.

Her phone buzzes with a text from Sara. _Sleepover, my house?_ Perfect, that'll give Roy plenty of time to forget about the little talk he wants to have.

"Hey Ollie, can I sleep over at Sara's?"

"Only if Lance is there."

Another text confirms that he will be and Thea grins, tapping out _see you soon_ on the keypad.

"Roy." Ollie tosses his keys across the table. "You drive her."

"Am I a bodyguard or a chauffeur?" Roy grumbles.

"You're a guy making more money this week than you have in the past year," Oliver retorts.

Roy flips him off and Thea dissolves into giggles.

xxx

When the door to Sara's house opens Roy stands there in shock, staring at the police officer that booked him a few weeks ago. Oh for fuck's sake, maybe he is dumb. How did he not put that together? Sara, the cop's daughter, Laurel, the do-gooder lawyer? Fucking figures.

"Mr. Harper," Lance says grimly, his face softening when Thea slips past him on the porch.

"Hi Quentin!" she says brightly.

"Come on in honey, Sara's in the kitchen with Dinah."

"Okay." Thea kisses Roy lightly on the lips (nothing inappropriate going on here officer, I swear). "See you in the morning?"

"Yeah." He manages to smile through his shock and watches her disappear inside the house.

"She's seventeen," Lance says quietly.

"I know."

"She's a minor."

Roy scowls. "I know."

"Just making sure."

"You really think Oliver would let me hang around her if he thought that was going on?"

Lance chuckles. "Remind me to tell you the story of when Oliver pissed all over my cop car."

Roy's mouth falls open. "He _didn't_."

"We were all boys once." Lance's voice is tinged with nostalgia. "Doesn't mean you can't become a good man."

Roy nods seriously. "Yes sir."

xxx

His phone buzzes early in the morning, too early for Thea to call to get picked up. Roy rolls over in the guest bed (his bed? for now?). A text, from Sin. _Big Belly Burger in 20? Got some info for you_.

He texts back _see you there_ and rolls out of the bed, praying that the coffee at Big Belly Burger is as good as the food.

"People call him The Count," Sin says proudly half an hour later, sucking on a double chocolate milkshake that Roy paid for, along with a burger and a large side of fries.

"Okay, weird."

"Oh, that's not the weird part."

Roy snags one of her fries before she can bat his hand away. "What's the weird part?"

Sin scowls at the stolen fry. "Mine."

"I paid for it."

"It's my breakfast!"

"That's disgusting."

She rolls her eyes. "I was up all night, thanks to you. I'm starving."

"Just get to it, already."

"Okay, jeesh. The weird thing is no one seems to know who the Count is."

"I don't get it. How can no one know who he is?"

"Look, I followed mister club drug kid around like you told me too. Met a few people, asked a few questions. Obviously The Count is a pseudonym, like Batman, or The Hood."

Roy shakes his head. "The Hood's kind of lame name. He should really work on that."

"He didn't name himself, the media did. Anyway, so The Count."

"That's all you got? A name?"

Sin shoves a fry in her mouth. "It took me all night to get that name."

"How does that help me?"

"Not my problem. You asked, I delivered. Now what was it you said about a cute little blond?"


	15. Chapter 15

"I got a name." Roy shivers in his hoodie, sleeves pulled over his hands to protect him from the chill.

The vigilante is leaning against a brick wall underneath the bridge. They're by the docks, where Laurel told Roy to meet the Vigilante when he'd called her to tell her he got some information on Vertigo. Thea decided to stay at Sara's for the weekend, so Roy found himself completely free at midnight to do things like share information with Starling City's most wanted.

"People call him the Count," Roy says.

"The Count?"

"It's a pseudonym."

The guy in the hood snorts. "I know what a pseudonym is."

"There's kind of a problem, though."

The man in front of him makes a noise that sounds like a growl, and Roy takes a step back. "What kind of problem?"

Roy kicks the dirt. "No one knows who he is. Or where he works out of."

"No one?"

"He uses street kids, has them sell out of clubs in the Glades, works by word of mouth. I can keep looking but it might take awhile to find a direct connect."

"Do you know anything about what the name means? Why he calls himself the Count?"

Roy shrugs. "Why the Hood? People need names, I guess."

"Okay." The vigilante steps forward and shakes his hand. "I appreciate your help, Mr. Harper."

"Sure. Anything else I can do?"

"For now? Stay out of trouble."

Roy blinks in the darkness and the vigilante vanishes.

xxx

"Okay," Sara whispers, snuggling next to Thea in her queen sized bed. "Spill."

Thea smiles in the dark. "About?"

"You know what!"

Thea giggles. "Do I?"

Sara tickles her ribs and she squeals. "Thea Dearden Queen, you tell me all about that beautiful boy right now or I swear to god-"

"Okay okay! What do you want to know?"

Sara smiles mischievously. "How's the sex?"

"Sara!"

"What, like I wasn't going to ask that? Really."

Thea gives her a smug smile. "We haven't done it yet."

"Shut up."

"We haven't."

"Thea!"

"What? He's nineteen!"

Sara grins. "And experienced."

"And living in our guest room."

Sara nods seriously. "Big bro cockblocking you?"

"Oh my god, can you imagine? Ollie would freak."

"Seriously, how did you get him to let Roy stay with you guys? Played the orphan card?"

"Actually," Thea says, stiffening at the word orphan, "it was his idea."

"No way."

"Yep."

"Your brother asked your boyfriend to move in with you."

"Yup."

"Thea."

"What?"

Sara's hand finds hers under the covers. "Look, I've been pretty cool about everything, but come on. You're lying."

"I'm not!"

"Sure," Sara says, sounding unconvinced. "Whatever."

"Sara-"

"It's fine." Sara sounds hurt. "You don't have to tell me."

Thea sighs heavily. "No. You're my best friend. You're right. I...I've been keeping a secret from you."

"Well?" Sara says. "Are you going to tell me or what?"

Thea bites her lip. "You can't tell, okay?"

"I would never!"

"Promise Sar."

"Okay, okay, I promise upon pain of death to never reveal your secret. Now spill."

"Okay." Thea takes a deep breathe. "Malcolm Merlyn is my biological father."

There's a pause where Sara just lies there, and then she shrieks, "He's your what?!"

"Shh!"

"Jesus Christ Thea, warn me before you drop a bomb like that. Oh my god."

"Yeah."

"Oh my god."

"I know."

"When did you find out?"

"After the funeral. The lawyer told us. I guess my mom was freaked about him trying to get custody."

"Wow." Sara's eyes are wide. "Wait, so at school, when we saw him. He was there to see you?"

"Yeah," Thea says, swallowing hard. "I guess he's um...pretty pissed that Ollie has custody. Malcolm's not...he's not supposed to go near me."

Sara looks scared. "Why?"

"Because he's bad, Sara. He's a bad man."

"People say..." Sara exhales sharply. "After Tommy he went crazy."

"Yeah," Thea says carefully. "I've heard that too."

"Does he want to hurt you?" Sara asks in a small voice.

"I don't know," she answers honestly.

Sara flings an arm around her waist. "God Thea, why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know. I wanted things to be normal, I guess. I don't think of him like my father, anyway."

"Wait...so your mom cheated on your dad with Malcolm Merlyn."

"Yeah."

"Gross. I mean, no offense but...ick."

Thea laughs. "None taken. Total ick factor."

"That's why Ollie wants Roy to be your bodyguard. To protect you from Malcolm."

"Yeah. Ollie's paying him more money than he's ever seen in his life. Of course he said yes."

Sara combs her fingers through her hair. "I'm sure he's not complaining about getting to see you all the time."

Thea smiles. "That part's pretty good."

Sara raises an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? How good?"

"Oh my god."

"I want details, lady. Details."

xxx

Thea comes home Sunday afternoon in the best mood Roy's ever seen. She hugs Oliver when she walks through the door and then flings her arms around Roy.

"Hi," she says, smiling brightly. "I missed you."

Roy grins. "You don't look too torn up about it."

Thea glances over her shoulder, where Oliver is retreating to the kitchen to refill his coffee mug.

"I told Sara about Malcolm," Thea whispers. "It feels really good not to keep secrets from her anymore."

Roy twines his fingers around hers. "That's great."

Thea swings her hand in his. "So, did you miss me?"

"Yeah," he admits. "It's pretty boring without you around."

Thea hooks her fingers under the waist of his jeans. "Good. Maybe you can show me later?"

"Show you?"

She gives him a coy smile. "How much you missed me."

xxx

Roy wakes up in the middle of the night to someone screaming. He jumps out of his bed, not bothering to pull on a shirt, and runs across the hall to Thea's room. She's thrashing around in bed, arms and legs flailing out.

"Thea!" He jumps onto the bed, gets her pinned down to the mattress so she can't hurt herself. "Thea, wake up!"

Thea screams in response and he shakes her. "Wake up, Thea, come on, wake up!"

She wakes up mid-scream, sitting up so fast their heads almost collide. She gasps for air, her chest heaving as her eyes dart around the room.

"Hey, hey, Thea, you're okay, you were dreaming, you're okay."

"Where's Ollie?" Thea pants, her hands curling in the sheets. "Ollie!"

"I'll get him, its okay, hold on." Roy runs down the hall to Oliver's room. The door is open but when he walks in the lights are off and the bed is made. Roy stands there in shock for a second, taking in the empty room.

Oliver's not here.

But he was at the loft all night. He ate dinner with them, cooked something Russian that Roy couldn't pronounce but was even better than sushi.

He prepped for his Monday morning board meeting over Skype with his assistant in his office while Roy and Thea watched a movie in the den.

Kissed Thea goodnight, and reminded Roy that he was going to school with her in the morning, and _don't wear that hoodie_.

Where the fuck would Oliver go at three-thirty in the morning?

In her room Thea is hyperventilating, sitting up with her forehead pressed to her knees.

"Hey Thea," Roy murmurs, climbing on the bed to put his hand between her shoulders. "Oliver's not here."

Thea's head snaps up. "What?"

"He's not in his room, and all the lights are off downstairs."

Thea starts to cry. "Where is he? Where is he?"

Roy takes her phone from her mirrored nightstand and dials Oliver, his other arm pulling Thea to her chest. The phone rings and rings while Thea cries into his shoulder.

_You've reached Oliver Queen, please leave a message and I will call you back at my earliest convenience._

Roy stares at the phone in disbelief. "Hey, Oliver. It's Roy. It's three-thirty in fucking morning and you're not here, and Thea's freaking out. So...yeah. Answer your fucking phone, dude."

Roy puts the phone back and looks down at Thea, who's gasping for breath, her tiny hands digging into his waist. "Hey, Thea, breathe, it's going to be okay."

"I need Ollie," she sobs. "Ollie."

"Thea." Roy cups her face and forces her to look at him. "I'm right here, okay? I've got you, you're okay."

Thea shakes her head, her curls sticking to her wet cheeks. "No, no, I need Ollie. Ollie, Ollie-"

"Thea, you gotta calm down, okay? Take some deep breaths."

"I can't." She keels over into him, her head pressed into his chest. "I can't, I can't breathe, I can't breathe-"

"Thea, you're breathing, you're okay, I promise, just relax, I've got you."

"No." She pushes against his chest, her eyes wild. "There are pills, in my bathroom, little white pills. Please. Please Roy, help me, please."

"Hey, hey, okay." He kisses her sweaty forehead. "Stay here."

In the cabinet over the huge marble sink is a prescription bottle with Thea's name in on, full of little white pills, just like she said. He shakes one into his palm, takes it back to Thea's room with a glass of fresh water and helps her swallow it.

She's not crying but she's shaking, cold hands holding onto his wrists like he's the only thing keeping her above water.

"Come here." He lies down on her bed and cradles Thea to his chest. He pulls the blanket up and she snuggles into his side, kissing his shoulder.

"Sorry," she murmurs. "I get nightmares sometimes."

"It's okay." She feels so little against him, coltish legs and skinny arms. Like a broken doll, beautiful and cracked wide open.

"Thea?"

"Yeah?"

"You gotta tell me what's going, okay? I can't take care of you if you don't talk to me."

Thea looks scared but she nods. "I know. It's just…its hard to talk about it."

Roy runs circles on her back. "You can do it."

Thea sniffs. "Um...last year...I went to a party. I wasn't allowed to go, it was in the Glades, but, well...I didn't exactly follow the rules back then. I got...pretty messed up. I called Ollie to come get me but he...he was really mad at me because I was being irresponsible and my mom heard him yelling on the phone and decided to come with him to pick me up."

Thea's staring at his chest, her eyes glazed over. "By the time they got there I was practically passed out. Ollie put me in the backseat with him to lie down. We were driving out of the Glades and we...some crazy person car-jacked us. He had a gun and was yelling at my mom to get out of the car, and Oliver freaked out and ran towards him and..."

She's crying again, slow fat tears sliding down her face. Roy holds her tighter, tries to remind her that she's safe, that she's with him.

"My mom screamed and tried to stop him and-and..."

"Shh, it's okay," he says. "You don't have to say anymore, Thea."

"It's all my fault," she whimpers. "I killed her."

"Hey," Roy says firmly. "You were just a kid. It wasn't your fault."

"She was there because of me," Thea insists. "She was killed because of me."

"She was killed because there are bad people in this world. She was protecting you, Thea. She was doing her job."

"I hate myself sometimes," she admits quietly.

"You're not responsible for other people's actions, Thea. You didn't ask her to come."

"I feel so guilty," she gasps. "Nothing makes it stop. I try so hard but nothing-nothing-"

"Thea," he says, one hand on the top of her head, like he's offering benediction. "You don't have to feel guilty anymore. Okay? It doesn't change anything. Your mom wouldn't want you to carry this around. She loved you."

Thea's eyes drift shut. "I'm a bad daughter," she says slowly, sounding like the pill's kicking in.

"You're not bad," Roy whispers. "Your dad died. Your brother died and then came _back from the dead_. You had all that publicity. That would mess anybody up."

"Why're you so nice to me?" she mumbles.

Roy sighs, runs his fingers up her spine. "Because you're the first person to really see me. To treat me like I deserved something other than the streets. You make me feel...I don't know. Like things matter, you know? Like I matter."

She gives him a sleepy smile. "You do matter."

"You matter too."

"I don't want you to go," she murmurs. "Don't leave, okay?"

Roy sinks into the plush sheets, lets his body relax against Thea. "I won't," he vows. "I won't leave you."

He holds her all night long.


End file.
